Heroes
by Mia Vaan
Summary: AU. Everyone deserves a second chance. But with second chances, there's consequences, as Roxanne Ritchi is about to learn. Can she be the hero she should have been for Megamind, all those years ago?
1. Chapter One: The Reset Button

Yet another fic, people. With exams finally over I have a lot of free time, so...why not?

This is from yet another discussion twoie and I were having some time ago (I swear you're putting these ideas in my head on purpose, twoie), about High School AUs and the AMV she made for the song _Hero _by Superchick. The idea just wouldn't leave me alone, and eventually, I came up with this story.

The idea for this first chapter was inspired by an idea twoie posted over at the forum on Fanfic, along with the film _17 Again_ and Kiki5's story _The Reset Button_.

Also, since I'm British I don't know diddly about American High Schools, but I will try my best. So if any of you have any info to share, or if something doesn't seem quite right, then please tell me.

Disclaimer: Don't own Megamind. Any OCs are mine.

I hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

Sometimes it only took a few words – whether they were printed on paper or spoken aloud – in order for one to realize the mistakes they'd made in life. Mistakes they'd made selfishly with a disregard for others, and that no matter how many times they tried, nothing could be done to fix it.

For one Roxanne Ritchi, it took a few bold words printed on the cover of her morning newspaper.

MEGAMIND TAKES HIS OWN LIFE AFTER ANOTHER HUMILIATING FAILURE

From what the rest of the article told, the citizens of Metro City had met the news with celebration and evident relief. No more evil maniacs, no more schemes, and no more destruction. And as Metro Man commented, more time to work on what he really enjoys: music.

Roxanne's reaction, on the other hand, was the opposite.

The reporter froze up, and for a few moments she stopped breathing. Then surprising herself her hand began to shake. Megamind was dead. Gone. He'd kidnapped her for years, but Roxanne had known from day one he wasn't going to hurt her. He wasn't going to hurt _anyone_ other than Metro Man. It was all part of the game; she'd get kidnapped, Metro Man would rescue her, and Megamind would be hauled off to jail. Nothing more, nothing less; it was routine.

In other words, this wasn't supposed to happen.

She didn't even pay attention to herself when she dropped the paper and sank to her knees, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Like everyone else she should be happy; the city's resident supervillain was gone. There would be no more kidnappings, and her life could finally be normal for once. But she wasn't happy. She was distraught.

Because she knew why he had done it.

Roxanne was there through the years of pain he had suffered. Many others had been too, but those others had been sheep; following Metro Man's example and outcasting the weird blue kid. She guessed Megamind hadn't made it any easier for himself in his pursuit to be the bad boy – but he'd been, in a way, scared to do anything else. Those around him had been treating him as such, and in the end, he came to think of himself as they saw him. Bad.

The woman had glimpsed his true colours many times during those four years of high school. She'd seen what had _really_ happened, and how Megamind had been unfairly blamed for everything that had gone wrong. A boy had mixed the wrong chemicals, started a fire, and Megamind had dehydrated many of the students before pulling her to safety – he got suspended for a month for bringing a "dangerous weapon" into school while the boy who started the fire only received two weeks worth of detentions. Megamind wrote an article for the school paper, stating how Metro Man was controlling the school and misleading the students and teachers – he received detention for "verbally insulting" another student, while when other students insulted _him_ the teachers all turned their heads. Then, during Prom, Megamind flooded the school gym – he was expelled and forced to clean up the mess.

OK, so the last one _had_ been purposely done, but Roxanne felt the punishment was a tad too harsh. After all, no one (apart from himself) had gotten hurt – cleaning up the gym would have been enough.

What bothered her the most, though, was that she had been aware of what was going on and had done nothing to help him. The reporter had simply stood by the sidelines and watched instead of getting involved and standing up for the blue boy. She could have been his friend. She could have proven to him he wasn't as bad as people made him think he was.

But she hadn't.

Her own selfish reputation and fear of what others would think of her had stood in the way. Preventing her from doing what she _knew_ was right. The guilt had always been there, throughout all the kidnappings and evil plots, just waiting for the right moment to pop up and say, "Hey! Remember me?"

Now it was yelling at her, loud and clear. Megamind was dead. And it was her fault.

Roxanne didn't even realize she'd left her apartment until she was passing by the celebrations in nothing but a white vest, blue jeans and her pink fluffy slippers. So deep in her sorrow she paid no heed to the fact that people were staring at her. Hal tried to talk to her. Metro Man tried to talk to her. She ignored both. In truth she _really_ felt like snapping at the latter of the two; after all, it was _his_ fault this had happened. If he'd wanted to be a _real_ hero he could have at least treated Megamind nicer during their childhood.

Before she knew it Roxanne was standing outside the location of Megamind's latest Evil Lair. She had figured it out not long after she'd been dropped off home by Metro Man; it was the only building in Metro City with a fake observatory on the roof. As she approached cautiously she came across a wall which...didn't seem quite right. A doormat below which said "Secret Entrance" confirmed its true purpose; she passed through.

The Lair was silent. Roxanne couldn't understand why she was here; she guessed it was to see if Minion was OK. But after minutes of searching she couldn't find the fish anywhere. Then it hit her; Minion was Megamind's best – and only – friend. If Megamind went down... There wasn't even a doubt that Minion had gone down with him. Even the Brainbots were absent.

This didn't stop her from observing each and every one of his inventions, each one carrying a memory of a past kidnapping. Megamind had put so much effort into all the inventions only for half of them to be smashed to pieces by a certain caped hero in white. Despite never showing so Roxanne had been impressed with the genius's inventions; she could understand why Megamind became upset when no one took him – or the inventions – seriously, and even more so whenever they were destroyed.

As her eyes moved from one invention to the next she was reminded of how over the years Megamind had gone from simply trying to defeat Metro Man, to attempting to kill him. Almost as if he'd been growing more and more desperate to abolish the superhero overtime. Roxanne couldn't find it within her to blame him. Her eyes fell upon newspaper clippings strung up from the ceiling, each one telling of Megamind's many failures: _HOMETOWN BOY MAKES BAD, BATTLE OF THE CENTURY, GOOD DEFEATS EVIL, MEGAMIND BACK IN PRISON, MEGAMIND HUMILIATED, ANOTHER EMBARRASSING LOSS FOR MEGAMIND_...

The list went on, and Roxanne noticed how as time went on the losses became more humiliating for the villain. She even recalled him trying to hide his face from the cameras two or three kidnappings ago. Thinking back to the last kidnapping she realized it had been the most humiliating of all; not only had the machine not even _worked_, but Metro Man had shown up and said some rather _awful_ things to him. Then along with the mockery, criticism and pain he'd received afterwards from the general public...it was no wonder it had finally bested him.

Roxanne was about to turn and go – she couldn't stand being in his Lair any longer – when she caught sight of something she hadn't noticed before. An entire area of the Lair with mathematical equations written all over the walls, blackboards, hanging pieces of paper... When she tried reading some of it the reporter couldn't make heads or tail of anything. It reminded her of just how smart Megamind really was.

The further she went the more the equations changed to drawings; rough sketches of _something_, although she couldn't make out what. This moved onto prototypes of what appeared to be a button, all stored in glass cabinets. Each were different, and each were either in pieces or with yellow tape across it, marked as DANGEROUS. Finally she came upon a roughly written statement hanging from the ceiling.

'_I have come to the conclusion that the Reset Button is far too dangerous to be used. It has the power to change the entire universe, and therefore, has the potential power to destroy it if anything should go wrong._'

_Reset Button?_ Nosy reporter side getting the better of her Roxanne approached the shape which loomed behind where the paper hung. It was a small black box resting upon a table, and upon it, a yellow sticky note was stuck with the words DO NOT TOUCH written across it. But Roxanne did more than touch it; in fact, she lifted the entire lid off, placing it on the table behind what was now before her very eyes.

A red button sat upon another black box, which was embedded into the metal table. Crouching down Roxanne could see many wires connecting it, by what laid at the other end of that connection, she didn't know. Instead of finding out she rose again, staring at the button with her curiosity peaked.

_If only the world had a reset button_, had been the one of the many thoughts filling her mind as she'd soaked herself in sorrow, and now, here it was. She could change everything. Possibilities filled her mind; with everything reset she could find Megamind and talk to him,_ convince_ him not to kill himself and that she'd be there for him. She could go back to the moment, right before the last kidnapping failed, and tell him to stop the endless game of trying to kill Metro Man – she knew he hated it.

But dark thoughts replaced those hopeful ones; what if it changed so much more than that? What if it changed the universe completely? What if, heaven forbid, something went wrong and it destroyed everything? Megamind wasn't stupid; stubborn as he was, he always knew when something was too dangerous to try, and knew never to cross that line. If he said it was too dangerous, chances where he was right. So Roxanne turned to go...

And tripped over one of the many wires she had miraculously avoided before.

The woman collided with one of the cabinets containing a prototype, and in her panic she pushed herself away.

Only to trip over the _same_ wire as before.

She grabbed at the table to steady herself...and too late did she realize she'd pressed the Reset Button by accident, activating it. A spark of electricity shot through the wires and the Lair began to shake.

Roxanne threw herself to the floor as a blinding light blocked out her surroundings...

* * *

The girl shot up in bed, her eyes wide open as she panted heavily. For a brief moment she didn't know where she was, until the familiarity of her bedroom came back to her; the red curtains, her cream carpet, the large bookshelf, her desk piled with school work, her full length mirror in the corner... She stared at her reflection for a long time, at first not recognizing it. Hadn't her hair been shorter...?

No. It was it's usual length, she realized. A bob ending just below her chin.

"No more late nights for me," seventeen year old Roxanne Ritchi muttered to herself sternly.


	2. Chapter Two: Junior Year

Here's chapter two. Thanks to all who have read, reviewed, faved and alerted this story.

In this chapter you'll recognize a few characters from _'Knocked Up'_. Also, unlike in that story, Roxanne and Megamind never talked in their early teenager years. Just a heads up. There'll be a few differences than in the movie-verse, but I'll leave them for you guys to spot.

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

The floorboards creaked beneath her feet as Roxanne made her way down the stairs of the small house in the suburbs. Bacon and eggs could be heard sizzling in the kitchen; it smelt delicious, and Roxanne followed the drifting smells and found one of her parents at the stove cooking. Her dad.

Her...dad. An overwhelming feeling of happiness swelled in the pit of the teen's stomach; it felt like she hadn't seen him in years. Suddenly she crossed the room and threw her arms around him from behind.

Rowan Ritchi almost dropped the frying pan in surprise. "Whoe...! Morning, Roxanne. ...You OK?" His daughter hadn't greeted him with a hug in the morning since she was in third grade. And never this tight.

"I missed you," she spoke into his back. Her eyes were closed as she squeezed her dad tightly.

"You missed me?" Now he was confused. "I never went away, honey."

The girl's eyes snapped open. Of course...he was there the night before. With her. Helping her with her homework. He hadn't gone anywhere. But for some reason Roxanne had the feeling she hadn't seen him in...years. She shook her head and pulled away. _Definitely no more late nights for me_.

"I know," she replied finally. Her cheeks turned red in a blush of embarrassment and she took her seat at the table. When her father spun his head and sent her a raised eyebrow she assured firmly, "Really, I am. I don't know what came over me. I'm just...happy to see you, I guess."

He shrugged. "If you say so." The ex-reporter placed the eggs and bacon on his daughter's plate.

It was at that moment the lady of the house entered; Rhonda Ritchi was talking on the phone, dressed in an expensive navy business suit and not even greeting her family as she snatched up some toast from the kitchen side. "No, the new designs for the skirts should have been in _weeks_ ago! What kind of designer are you? A fired one, that's what, unless you can get them to me pronto!"

"Morning, Mum," Roxanne tried.

"Not now, Roxanne." The woman didn't even turn to acknowledge her daughter. "I don't care if the material you needed was out of stock; get a new supplier!" Rhonda snatched up her handbag and was out the door without even a single word of goodbye.

Roxanne's bright blue eyes closed and averted down to her breakfast in disappointment. She knew the fault wasn't hers; when she was younger she thought it had been, but had later learned from her father it was no one's fault but her mother's. "I wish she'd at least _try_ and find the time."

"You know what your mother's like." Her father took a seat next to her, another plate of bacon and eggs in his hand. "She takes her job seriously; she loves it."

"But she should love us more," the girl pointed out. Rowan's mouth opened but she cut him off. "Admit it, Dad. If she did she would find the time to be with us. We can't even have a normal family vacation without her talking on the phone to _someone_."

What she was referring to was their last – and sadly _only_ – vacation seven years before. Roxanne had been ten at the time. Her father had decided for them to take a trip to _Disneyland_ in order for Rhonda and Roxanne to bond. It had worked to an extent on the first day; despite her awkwardness Rhonda participated, even if she sat out on the bigger rides (which the other two understood, due to her dodgy stomach). But the days after that Rhonda sat out on nearly all of them, talking on her cell phone to one of her colleagues at work, or her assistant. She even tried to speak with her boss while the family were riding _It's a Small World_.

Confiscating the phone never worked, as Rowan soon found out; she would just find a payphone and use that instead. So in the end, the father gave up. Rhonda stayed at the hotel while her husband took Roxanne to the parks. The girl had enjoyed herself...but she had been upset that her own mother wouldn't take a break to spend time with her daughter.

Thinking back on it, Roxanne knew her situation could be worse; at least she still had her father while some kids had neither.

"She does love you," Rowan assured – his daughter or himself, he didn't know. "She just...doesn't express it." Once the pair were finished Rowan collected both their plates. "Now hurry up and get going while I get this house cleaned up."

The teenager smiled. Even though she still found it a little weird, it was nice that her dad did all the housework instead of her mum. It broke the status quo – which was a benefit from her mother working, she guessed. It proved that not all mothers had to stay home while the fathers worked.

* * *

The yellow school bus pulled up outside the school gates. Roxanne was last to climb out, her skirt swaying from side to side as she walked, shirt hanging loose and books in her arms. The old and tatty shoulder bag that once belonged to her dad hung over her shoulder, tapping lightly against her side.

Her face became a wide smile when she caught sight of two coloured twins, boy and girl, approaching her. "Hey, Tia. Terry."

"Rox, we've got great news!" the girl twin spoke up. "Metro City University accepted Terry's application!"

"Congratulations, despite being a year early!" Roxanne joked to the boy.

Terry Whitmire shrugged. "They didn't seem to mind that I was only a Junior. It just means I have a place ahead of everyone else. And they said I wasn't the only one to apply early."

His sister, Tianna Whitmire, rolled her eyes. "A girl from Milwaukee applied early too, for a psychology course. Her name's Shelley Dunmore. She and Terry have only been chatting online for a day and already they appear to be in love."

"When you find that special someone, love knows no time limits," Terry protested. The girls just giggled as they walked inside the school building, leaving the poor lovesick boy behind to sulk.

* * *

"I'm telling you," Roxanne explained as she and Tianna walked into homeroom, Terry following along behind, "I woke up this morning, and it was like I couldn't remember where I was. And for some strange reason I thought my hair should have been shorter. Then when I got downstairs, I had this feeling that I hadn't seen my dad in years so gave him a hug."

Tianna raised an eyebrow and sent her friend a look. "Girl, you need to lay off the pizza before bed."

"It wasn't that. I think I went to bed late last night." They passed by the four boys in the front row; Joe Doverman, Sam Dwayne, Nick Doel and Cameron Darcy. Or _The Four Ds_, as they called themselves. Or as everyone else liked to call them, _The Four Dicks_.

Terry took his seat at the back desk next to the window while Tianna took the next one along, Roxanne taking the one next to her. The next student to walk in was a slightly overweight ginger named Hal Stewart, his backpack hunched up too high. Instantly the four boys at the front threw paper aeroplanes and scrunched up bits of paper at him. They laughed as Hal made a break for his desk – which was unfortunately the one right in front of Roxanne. "Hi, Roxie!"

Roxanne cringed at his overly-freckled face and his teeth strapped down with braces.

Two more students arrived – a girl called Stacy Say, who took a seat in front of Tianna, and a boy named Bernard Stamper, who sat himself into the seat in front of Terry – before in flew the school's hero. Wayne Scott – otherwise known as Metro Dude – was handsome, rich, and had the powers to rival a god. Tianna and Stacy sighed as they watched him float to his desk; the one next to Hal. Roxanne just bit her lip and kept her head down. Personally she didn't think the hero was that great – just a bit of a stuck up jerk. But she couldn't help but feel there was another reason why she hated him...

The final student hurried in as the bell rang. A blue kid with a large cranium, wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans along with a spiked collar around his neck. He kept his head down, his vibrant green eyes watching the floor as he sprinted past Wayne and took a seat next to Roxanne.

The girl watched him curiously; her mind was blank. For some reason she couldn't remember his name... Did it begin with 'M'...?

"All right, settle down," Mr. Jameson announced. The middle-aged teacher took out the register and a pen. "Let's see who's here. Ty."

"Yes, sir." The blue boy was still avoiding eye contact with everyone in the class.

Roxanne sent him a curious glance. Why did she think his name began with an 'M'? His name was Ty. Ty Bleu. He'd been in her homeroom since Freshmen year; why had she suddenly forgotten his name?

* * *

The lunch hall was packed. Kids, Freshmen to Senior, were lined up for their lunch while others sat down at the many tables talking. The trio of friends were sat on one of the smaller tables; Terry and Tianna were chatting while Roxanne was staring at Ty. The blue boy at the far end was eating with one hand while the other was sketching something in a notepad.

The girl was so caught up in staring she didn't hear Tianna trying to get her attention. "Roxanne! Girl, snap out of it!" She snapped her fingers.

Roxanne jumped and snapped her head back round. "Huh?"

"I asked if you'd done that Essay for Ms. Green?"

Her eyes grew a little wide; how long had she been staring at that boy? "Oh...um..."

"Afternoon, drones." Roxanne was thankfully saved by Bernard joining the group, taking a seat next to the other two who sat opposite her. The sandy-haired boy sometimes sat with them when he felt like it, only it was never any different with him there; after his introduction lines he hardly ever spoke. "What mindless things have we been up to?"

"Essays," Terry replied. He stuffed a bite of pizza in his mouth.

"Joy."

While the conversation continued Roxanne's gaze averted back to the blue boy; Wayne and a few of his followers passed by, the super powered boy giving him a shove. Not only did this cause Ty to ruin his sketch but also for him to spill his drink – in a rather embarrassing place on his jeans. "Looks like the blue freak ain't potty trained," Wayne joked. His followers laughed, along with some kids seated at the nearby tables. Ty, though, ignored their laughs and continued sketching.

"Roxanne!" The girl snapped back once again, blinking. "What's wrong with you today?"

With another nervous glance in Ty's direction Roxanne hesitated. "Um...do you think we should go give Ty some company? He looks lonely."

The twins looked at her as if she were insane. Bernard couldn't care less. "Roxanne, have you gone insane?" Tianna hissed. "You hang out with him you'll be shunned for the rest of High School. You _should_ know this; where've you been for the past two/three years?"

"What she's trying to say..." Terry spoke up. For a moment he paused, trying to find the right words. "Don't you think he's a little...weird?"

"Well..." She had to admit; being bald, blue, and with a big head, his appearance did seem a little out there...but she believed that people shouldn't be judged by their covers. "But it's not like he's done anything, right?" Her inner gut was conflicting with itself; memories told her he hadn't, while something else suggested he had...

"No, he hasn't," Tianna replied, and Roxanne sighed. "But my point is everyone avoids him. It's just how things are. I know it seems harsh, but...do you really wanna risk what people think of you over hanging out with him?"

The question planted itself in her mind as Roxanne stole another glance at Ty. This time she was surprised to find him staring right back at her – until he noticed her looking his way, so quickly got back to work on his sketch. She thought; ever since Freshmen year she'd been doing what Tianna had said. Avoiding him because of what people thought of her. Before it hadn't mattered; the whole idea of it hadn't even crossed her mind. It was like her friend had said; it was just how things were.

But that day...she noticed something about him. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on which drew her to him. She didn't know what the feeling was or where it had suddenly come from...but she wasn't about to stop and ask.


	3. Chapter Three: Ask Out

Finally. Sorry about the wait for this one, guys.

This one was a pain to write. I knew what would happen it's just...writing it. I'm so not looking forwards to the next three chapters, which I still need to figure out in order to reach the chapters I _have_planned. :(

Two things about this one. The incident that happens at the beginning is something I've read about in a couple of fics which happened in Megamind and Roxanne's high school days. So credit goes to whoever thought that up. And also, towards the end of the chapter, you'll see the changes in this story-verse. Basically when Roxanne pressed the reset button, the entire universe reset itself - which has resulted in changes. Hopefully things will make sense, but if you're a little confused then don't be afraid to ask.

Again, sorry for the long wait, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

_Get a hold of yourself, girl_, Roxanne firmly scolded herself. _No one can suddenly notice someone they've been ignoring for so long overnight...right?_ The teen kept on repeating these words over an over for the next two days. But no matter what she kept on telling herself, her attention would always be drawn back to the skinny blue boy with the large head.

Her new habit of watching him curiously made her realize she shared all but one of her periods with him. He always sat at the back of the class in the shadows, and since he never spoke no one would know he was there. The only time he didn't do such was in her biology, chemistry and mathematics classes, in which he always sat at the front and would sometimes correct the teacher; the maths teacher – an old man in his fifties – became increasingly annoyed by this while the two who taught the sciences didn't appear to mind. They were just glad for a student who actually listened to them.

Throughout those two days Roxanne watched him; she couldn't take her eyes off him, even during the few minutes between classes when they were collecting their books from their lockers. It was a time like this when Roxanne found her blue eyes drawn to him again; he was a few lockers down..._talking_ to something inside. The girl's eyebrows knotted themselves together in confusion; who – or what – could he be talking to?

_Maybe he's just muttering to himself? No, it looks like he's having a full conversation..._

Roxanne gathered her books for the next class, ducking her head to avoid a ball of paper thrown in her direction. Accidentally, of course. _The Four Ds_ were throwing them all at Hal, who was hurrying past in an attempt to get to his next class. For a moment it looked like he wanted to stop and talk to her, but the urge to get away from the boys was too great and he continued down the hall. Roxanne was relieved; sure, Hal was pretty much harmless, but he was still a little creepy.

It wasn't long before another unwanted face began to make his way along the crowded hallway. Students parted as Metro Dude floated a few inches from the ground, a smug expression on his face – which changed to a gleaming smile whenever he passed a group of girls.

Too late did Roxanne realize he was approaching _her_, and before she found the chance to slam her locker shut and hurry to her next classroom the tall, muscular boy had landed in front of her. The look he was giving her was one of possession – as if he thought he owned her. Roxanne was disgusted by it.

"I was hoping to catch you today, Roxie," he began. Roxanne shuddered at the nickname. Terry and Tia called her 'Rox', her father 'Annie', while others just called her by her full name. But Metro Dude – and Hal, for that matter – always called her 'Roxie'. And she hated it. "Listen, my old man's opening this fancy new restaurant downtown. Of course I'm invited; why wouldn't I be? But I'm allowed to bring one guest. So I thought; you, me, and a private table on the rooftop balcony under the stars. It's going to be the best view in the city, according to my father. So what time do you want me to pick you up?"

It took all the effort she possessed not to allow her jaw to drop. _The nerve...! Who does he think he is, expecting me to say 'yes'? He hasn't even asked!_ And the girl would have snapped back at him...

...if Ty hadn't suddenly turned and punched a boy in the face.

Roxanne gasped from the shock of it; she hadn't expected the blue boy to do _anything_ like that. He was quiet, shy – certainly not the kind of boy who got into a lot of fights. The unfortunate student he'd punched picked himself up, holding a bleeding nose between his fingers as he groaned in pain. Ty took a step back; from the horrified look on his face, it was as though he hadn't meant to do that at all.

Suddenly Metro Dude was there, hauling him up by his shirt a few feet off the ground with a fist clenched, ready to punch. It didn't take very long for a crowd to gather; the echoing chants of, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" bounced off the walls of the hallway.

"Metro Dude!" Roxanne tried to yell above the noise. She repressed everything Tianna had told her two days before; she couldn't just stand and watch Ty get the crap beaten out of him by a boy with obvious superhuman strength. "Stop!" But when he didn't listen, Roxanne raised her voice and tried something else. "WAYNE!"

That caught his attention, and his greyish-blue eyes turned on her, as did the other students watching. "Roxie? What's wrong?"

"Firstly, _don't_ call me that!" Roxanne couldn't help but snap. "Second, you can't punch him. You're supposed to be the school's _hero_, remember? And a hero wouldn't punch him back; a hero would take him to the principal's office." She knew she couldn't just ask Metro Dude to put him down, since Ty did technically punch another student – whether intentionally, or not.

For a moment Metro Dude seemed to ponder this. Then with a sigh, he drifted back to the floor, but still kept a firm hand on Ty's shirt. The disappointed crowd parted for him as he began to drag the blue boy towards the principal's office.

"Oh, and Wayne?"

"And _I_ would appreciate it if _you_ didn't call _me_ that." But he still turned to listen.

Roxanne couldn't help but send him a glare as she spoke. "Go find one of your fangirls to take to your "_fancy_" restaurant. Because I'm not interested." Many of the students watching gasped in disbelief. Metro Dude was unable to mask the shock in his expression – that had really given his ego a beating. _No one_ turned him down. Ty, who had finally opened his eyes to watch, allowed those same eyes to grow wide as he watched the girl walk away without a backwards glance. A chorus of _ooooohhs_ followed.

The bell rang and the students made their way to their next classes, while two girls helped the boy with the nosebleed get to the nurse. Trying to mask his injured ego Metro Dude proceeded to drag Ty down the hall. _The Four Ds_ watched them go. "I hope you get expelled!" Joe called after Ty.

"Or sent off to a lab to be experimented on!" Nick added. He and Joe high fived.

Cameron laughed. "This is why freaks like you shouldn't be allowed here!"

"Yeah. High School ain't a fucking freak show!" Sam agreed.

"Really?" droned a voice. The four boys stopped laughing when Bernard passed them, slowly making his way to class. "You four could've fooled me."

If any other student had said that to the boys, it would have been a death wish. But instead _The Four Ds_ ignored him; beating up a emotionless and sarcastic kid like Bernard was simply no fun.

* * *

Ty sat in the Principal White's office with his head hung low. Next to him was his guardian, John Warden. Ironically enough, the warden of the Metro City prison.

"So, Bleu," the principal began. Like he did with the other students, he used the boy's last name. "Why did you punch that boy? Did he say something to you? Did you have an argument?" When the Scott boy had delivered him, he'd explained that Ty had punched the other boy for no good reason, but Principal White wanted to hear the full story. Scott was an...interesting one, and considering his family the man didn't fully trust him. He was probably the only teacher who was like this towards the school's richest student.

The boy's eyes remained fixed firmly to the floor. He didn't want to say, but...with the warden sitting so close he knew he had no choice. And there was no use lying, he knew. "There's this...girl," he began. "I...really like her. But that _douche bag_ asked her out in front of me, and I...got angry. I couldn't punch him so I turned and punched someone else, instead."

"Who wasn't even involved," the principal informed. "You shouldn't take your anger out on others."

Ty didn't say anything. Instead his thoughts replayed what had happened afterwards; Metro Douche had been about to punch him when _she_ had come and told him not to. Then, to his utter shock, she had turned the super boy down. Which he just didn't get; _no girl_ turned down Wayne. It just didn't happen.

Not that he was upset. It made him overjoyed to think that Roxanne Ritchi, the girl he'd been crushing on since Freshmen year, had flat out turned down the boy he'd hated since he was eight days old.

Screw the fact that he was being suspended for ten days. Seeing the jerk's ego crumble before him was definitely worth it.

* * *

Roxanne didn't see Ty until after last period had ended. The girl had stayed behind to talk to her teacher while everyone else left, so by the time she stepped outside the classroom the hallways had been emptied of students.

Except for one.

Ty was emptying a few books from his locker. Word had gone round that he'd been suspended for ten days, along with rumours that he'd beaten the pulp out of Paul Dulong (the boy he punched) for no reason at all – other than Ty was an alien who thought he could do what he wished. Some of the fawning fans of Metro Dude even called him barbaric.

The girl never really got the chance to try correcting the rumours; she'd been too busy having her ear pulled by Tianna about how she was _crazy_ to turn down a hunk like Metro Dude.

Which reminded her of the other rumours, saying that _she'd_ asked _him_ out, and that _he'd_ turned _her_ down. She shook her head; High School really was a battlefield.

Roxanne walked in the boy's direction with intentions to put her books away, but before she knew it she was in front of him and speaking the words, "Are you OK?"

The blue boy jumped at least a foot in the air, slamming his locker shut – it was then Roxanne realized he'd been talking to something inside it again. "Uh...yeah! Yeah! I'm fine! I've been beaten up worse than that." Roxanne bit her lip at the thought. "I also got a referral, but I've had some before. Nothing to worry about." Despite his assurance she could hear the sadness in his voice.

"Bummer." That would have been a good place to leave it, but Roxanne found that her feet refused to move.

And Ty was already asking her a question. "Why did you turn down Metro Douch... I mean, Metro Dude? You're not ill, are you?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied. "It's just- Ugh. He has no right to assume I'd go out with him just because his dad's rich and he has super powers."

"Not to mention his good looks and great hair."

"To tell you the truth, he's not all that great," Roxanne continued. "Tia said I should _want_ to go out with him; every girl does. But...he's not really my type. I prefer brains rather than brawn."

Ty swore that if his heart beat any faster, she'd be able to hear it. He turned away and avoided eye contact, pretending to organize the books in his rucksack.

The teenage girl watched his face curiously. The boy had blue skin and a large, bald head...but that didn't mean he was ugly. She'd only been watching him for two days; yet, that didn't take away what she'd observed. That he was actually rather good looking...

_Snap out of it, Roxanne! Before you say something stupid!_

"Do you wanna go out sometime?"

_Too late_.

If Ty hadn't been shocked before, he certainly was after she said that. The bag dropped from his grasp and he was forced to slam against the lockers to support himself. Fainting from shock probably wouldn't look good in front of a girl. "Wha...wha...do...yoo...ga..huh?"

Roxanne sighed inwardly. _Well, I guess there's no turning back now_. "I asked if you wanted to go out sometime. You know? Hang out?" She wondered if he knew what that meant, since he looked rather confused.

"I know what it is," he finally spoke (once his brain was able to form words again). "It's just...why?"

Truth be told, she didn't know either. "I...guess I've only just realized I share nearly all of my classes with you, and yet, I don't know anything about you. So what's the harm in getting to know you a little better? And I did say I like brains better than brawn; you have the biggest one here."

The boy's green eyes looked towards his large cranium, before settling back on her. "So...how does this work?"

For a moment Roxanne thought; how _could_ this work? "You know that abandoned observatory across town?" He nodded. "Meet me there at half ten tonight."

The notion of putting her books away forgotten, Roxanne sent the boy a smile and walked away towards the school's front entrance. It was only when she was gone did Ty dance around victoriously.

"Minion!" The locker door was opened and inside sat his only friend; a fish in a water-filled sphere. "Minion, you'll never guess what happened!"

"It better be a good excuse to slam the door shut in my face."

"Oh, it is!" his charge cried with joy. "Roxanne Ritchi asked me out!"

And the fish's jaw dropped. "No!" he gasped with disbelief.

"It's true! She came right up to me and asked if I wanted to go out!" The boy's green eyes were lit like a Christmas tree, and it just showed Minion how happy he was. "And on the same day she turns down Metro Douche! Apparently she likes brains better than brawn."

"You do have the biggest brain here, sir," the fish complimented. "Must be why she likes you."

"Well...she didn't say she _liked_ me." Now the alien was unsure. "She just said she likes brains, which _could_ indicate that she likes me, but I won't get my hopes up. She said she wanted to get to know me."

"That's a start. I'm so happy for you, sir."

"I know! This is the best day EVER!" His cry of happiness was followed by another victory dance.

Which was short lived when he absent-mindedly smacked his hand against the lockers. "_...aahhhhoww..._"

* * *

The door of the Scott Mansion slammed closed as Wayne marched in. And he'd only given it a tap. "Dad, I'm home," he called out. He rolled his eyes when he was met with silence. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You're out. My mistake," he muttered sarcastically. The teen dumped his bag next to the door. The maid could pick it up later.

Footsteps were soon heard, and from around the corner appeared his nine year old brother. "Dad's out at the opening," Luke Scott informed. "Weren't you 'posed to be with him?"

"It's called sarcasm, Luke. And I skipped it."

"Why?"

The older boy shrugged. "I felt like it." It was a lie. The truth was, he didn't want to go without a girl at his side. Of course, he could have any girl he wanted – but he didn't want a fangirl fawning all over him for the rest of the night.

That was why he wanted Roxanne. She was the only girl who didn't, and he liked that. Not to mention she was the hottest girl in school. And in his eyes, he deserved the best.

So when she turned him down he decided to skip the opening and head home. It wasn't like his father was going to notice his absence.

Wayne was annoyed when Luke began to follow him into the kitchen. It wasn't that Wayne disliked the boy; he didn't.

It was because Luke reminded him too much of his mother.

Things had been happy in the Scott household when Lady Scott had announced she was pregnant. Especially since she and her husband had been told it was impossible for them to ever have children, due to his less than active sperm and her genetic reproduction problems. It was why they had adopted Wayne in the first place.

Wayne, who had been only eight at the time, was the most excited at the thought of getting a younger sibling. Around the same time his mother had been planning on opening a special school for him, since according to her words, "None of the other schools are good enough for my special boy." With a wonderful mother, a new sibling on the way and the chance to go to school with other children, Wayne had been one happy little boy.

Until little Luke Scott came six weeks early. This brought on more complications during the birth, which turned into a struggle to save both mother and baby. Luke was saved...but his mother wasn't. It was a painful memory for Wayne, remembering saying goodbye to his mother for the last time.

"Promise me something, Wayne," his mother had told him. "Please, do not blame your brother. This wasn't his fault. Promise me you won't blame him for me going away."

"I promise."

And Wayne had kept his promise. He didn't blame his brother for what had happened. Instead he blamed the doctors for not doing enough to save his mother.

But above all, he hated his father for not caring.

There was a funeral, but it was almost like it didn't bother Lord Scott that his wife was dead. He just carried on with life as usual without even a single thought of mourning. Luke was placed in the care of a nurse, and the man even cancelled the plans for the school and instead, placed his eldest son into a public school.

As if he were just an ordinary kid. Yes, Wayne really did hate his father.

When the boys arrived in the kitchen their dinner was already prepared; the maid who worked for them was busy washing up the pots and pans. Wayne didn't bother to thank her. She didn't speak a word of English, so what was the point?

Half way through the meal Wayne noticed his brother was unusually quiet. "Is something up, little bro?"

"Well," Luke began, "there's this girl." _Isn't there always?_ Wayne thought. "She's really pretty. The prettiest in the class. And didn't you say I should have the prettiest girl, because I'm the most important boy in the class?"

"That's right." The boy was learning well.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed. "I told her that, but she said I wasn't important! She called me a brat! Then she went of to play with this total _dweeb_! Jace, his name was, or something like that. Stupid name."

It reminded the older brother a little of what had happened between himself and Roxanne earlier that day. Only she hadn't gone off with another boy.

"What's the girl's name?"

"Casey."

"Well, this Casey needs to learn that when a Scott wants something, they get it," Wayne informed. "And that's what you need to tell her. If you want her, then take her."

Luke smiled up at his brother, who smiled back. It made him feel proud inside, knowing he was teaching his little brother the ways of the world. And at the same time, an idea – one that would land Roxanne for sure – formed in his mind. All he had to do was make a call.

Maybe he would be going to the opening, after all.


	4. Chapter Four: The Date

Thank you for all you comments so far on this story.

This chapter keeps with the fluff theme this week. A nice fluffy date for Megs and Rox. :) I'm not entirely satisfied with how the chapter came out, but I'll let you guys decide whether it's good or not.

Hope you like.

* * *

Roxanne bit her bottom lip as she watched the clock tick slowly. Ten o'clock. And her dad _still_ wasn't in bed. _Come on, Dad! You're usually up by now! Oh, why didn't I say eleven?_ The abandoned observatory was on the other side of the city; it would take her a while to get there, and if she didn't leave soon she knew she'd be late.

The girl didn't even know why she was going through all the trouble to see a boy who she shouldn't even like. But, surprising herself, she was looking forward to their little meeting.

And she didn't want to imagine the heart broken look on Ty's face when she didn't show up, because her dad wouldn't get his lazy butt upstairs and go to sleep.

Good thing she didn't have to worry about her mother; from what she could hear, Rhonda appeared to be having an argument with her suppliers, and Roxanne doubted an earthquake would distract her from her call.

When the large hand of the clock reached the one Roxanne decided she couldn't wait any longer. The girl double checked that the pillows shoved underneath her bed covers looked believable before she switched her light off and hurried over to her bedroom window; it opened without the slightest of noise. Glancing from side to side, she checked no one was out and about, before deeming it safe to climb down. The girl clung to the drain as she eased herself down.

She landed on the soft grass below her and quickly pinned herself against the wall; she could hear the TV from inside the house, and no doubt her dad would still be watching. With a good view of the window with its still open curtains. Once again, Roxanne bit her lip; she really did feel bad about sneaking out. The teen usually told her dad everything. But she knew what he was like when it came to his daughter and boys, like any father – she didn't want to find out how he would react to her meeting an _alien_ boy.

* * *

After taking a bus as far as she could into the city Roxanne took the subway into the downtown area; unfortunately she could only go as far as the waterfront, so had to walk the few blocks (not to mention climb the hill) to the observatory. Hood up over her head, the teen proceeded to make the journey quickly and quietly, and tried her best not to draw attention to herself. The area she was passing through wasn't a rough one, but it was close to the industrial area, which _was_.

The girl had been walking for two blocks when she had the chilling feeling that someone was following her. It sent a shiver down her spine. _Great, just what I need. A stalker_. She didn't dare to glance over her shoulder; instead she picked up the pace, and from behind her she could hear her stalker do the same. Fear gripped her, and just as she was about to turn a corner, she began to run.

Only to bump into someone.

Her blue eyes focussed on the person she'd bumped into, and relief flooded her body when she recognized the pair of bright green eyes staring back at her. Ty was giving her a confused look, but at that moment in time, she didn't care.

She could suddenly sense the stalker behind her, and with one swift movement Ty had her behind him with a strange looking gun aimed at the guy who had appeared. He was at least a decade older than them, with slimy brown hair and lifeless grey eyes. The man paused and took a step back; most likely he was surprised by Ty's appearance. But then he seemed to realize just how short and skinny the boy was, and laughed.

"Do you really want to get into a fight with me, boy?" His voice was chilling, and the way he stared at Roxanne reminded the girl of why she should _never_ venture out this late at night. _What was I even __thinking__?_

Even though she couldn't see him, she somehow knew Ty had raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want to try anything when you're within range of this?" He gestured to the gun.

The man laughed again. "You wouldn't shoot me."

But he did. Ty pulled the trigger, and Roxanne quickly buried her eyed into his shoulder and covered her ears. When she didn't hear a gunshot she looked up again; the man had been reduced to a tiny blue cube, which Ty approached and picked up.

"Some men are just sick," he spat. The cube was placed in his pocket before the boy's green eyes met her own blue ones. Roxanne could see the worry in them. "Are you OK? How long was he following you for?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "I think he was following me for about a block." Her eyes averted to his pocket, where she could see the cube resting. "How...how did you do that?"

"I used my De-Gun," Ty explained. He held out his gun for her to see; it was decorated with beautiful filigree patterns, and in the girl's opinion it almost looked like something out of the steampunk genre. There was a dial, and on it Roxanne could read many different settings. Its current setting was 'dehydration'. "The dehydration setting...well...it turns objects into cubes."

"Then why call it 'dehydration'?"

"Because water is the only thing which can reverse the process." Ty placed the gun back at his side. "It also takes people out without actually harming them."

Roxanne didn't know what to say. She'd known Ty was smart, but...smart enough to create something the police force would _die_ to possess? _His head's big for a reason; there's no denying it_. "By the way...thanks. For doing that."

A small, weak smile appeared on his face. "I was just doing...what anyone would have done, really."

"Not just anyone would have done that," Roxanne pointed out. "And that's the sad thing about life nowadays."

"Yeah." An awkward silence passed between them. "It's probably best that we get going in case one of the gangs decide we're their next victims."

* * *

When the two teens arrived at the top of the hill leading to the observatory they were met by Minion. "Oh, sir! There you are! I was beginning to regret letting you go alone to find Miss Ritchi; I was getting worried!"

The sight of a talking fish in a robotic gorilla suit caused Roxanne to freeze. _Now I've seen it all_. "What... How... Who...?"

Ty couldn't help but chuckle. "This is Minion," he introduced. "He was in the pod with me when I was sent to Earth, to give me company and to take care of me. I guess you can call him my Momma-Fish."

"Sir, I am _not_ your Momma-Fish!" Minion denied.

"Says the one who insisted I bring you into _shool_ every day."

"You bring him into school every day?" Roxanne questioned. "I haven't seen..." But then it clicked. "_Ohhh_. You hide him in your locker, don't you? I've seen you talk to him."

"Yes," Ty replied. "I place him in his water sphere and I bring him in my bag. Then at the end of the day I take him home again."

It clicked again; that explained why he always arrived insanely early and left later than everyone else. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Minion."

"And it's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Ritchi." The fish smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"_Sooooo_..." Ty swung his arms back and forwards, unsure what to say next. "I...I read about these 'dates', and they usually consist of going to the _moovees_, or going out to dinner, or..." His eyes quickly glanced at Minion, who had taken position behind Roxanne. The fish held up a cue card. Usually Ty would have been able to remember what to say, but he was so nervous all the information was getting jumbled up inside his large brain. "...or going to the beach, or...having a pianlk- I mean, picnic."

The brunette's eyebrows raised before she turned her head. As she did, Minion quickly hid the cue cards behind him, so when she saw him he was looking off to the side, whistling casually. With a smile Roxanne turned back to the blue teen. "Nice cue cards. Your suggestion of a picnic is lovely."

Ty closed his eyes with frustration and rolled his head back. "Shoot me now."

"It's fine." Roxanne couldn't deny it; he looked adorable, stumbling over his words like a nervous school boy. Which was what he was, after all. "I...didn't really plan much for this evening, really. We could see if the telescope inside the observatory works."

"Oh, it does," Ty informed. "I use it all the time."

* * *

Later, the two teens were sat down on a blanket with food set out for them, all of which had been supplied by Minion. The fish left the two alone, understanding that they needed privacy (at least, that was what Ty had told him). The stars shone down brightly as the two ate, chewing on sandwiches and munching on crisps.

"This is delicious," Roxanne complimented. "Minion made this all himself?"

Ty only shrugged. "He's quite the chef."

"A fish who cooks. Now I've definitely seen it all." They both chuckled, followed by a silence.

"Roxanne," Ty began. The brunette turned to look at him. "Why did you...ask me out? I mean, it's not that I don't appreciate it. I do! This is the first date I've ever been on, and so far I like it, but I can't help but wonder why you're suddenly interested in me, because usually when people show they're interested in me it always turns out to be some stupid prank-"

"Ty."

The boy cut himself off. "Sorry. I have a tendency to ramble."

Roxanne suppressed a laugh (although she couldn't help but feel sorry for the fact that this was his first date). "I guess...it's because I've finally _seen_ you. I mean, I know I used to see you before, but recently I've actually _seen_ you. As in, I've looked closer and...I've seen something I like. Some_one_ who I like. I don't know what it was which finally made me see you, but I'm not complaining. You're a great guy, and it's not fair how the other kids treat you like they do just because of how you look." She made herself feel bad by reminding herself that _she_ had ignored him, too.

Ty didn't understand; how could she see something she liked about him? He'd sometimes seen her looking at him over the past two days and had wondered why; he never expected it to be because she _liked_ him. But like her, he wasn't complaining.

"Destiny...works in mysterious ways," he finally spoke. "It can lead you down many different paths."

"Or you can choose it for yourself." Green eyes looked up into blue ones, and Ty mirrored the smile which Roxanne was sending him. Then both their gazes turned to look at the stars; since they were away from the bright lights of the city the stars were a lot clearer. "The stars are beautiful."

Her comment reminded Ty of something he wanted to do. "Can I show you something?"

* * *

Five minutes later the pair were stood in the old observatory with the giant telescope in front of them. Ty went first, adjusting it to the right position before he stepped back and allowed Roxanne to look. The girl peered through the telescope; she could see thousands of stars, but one which was giving off a red glow caught her attention.

"What am I looking at?" she asked.

"The red star," Ty replied. "That star...was once the sun which my planet orbited."

Roxanne pulled back and looked at him with an open mouth. She hadn't been expecting that. Not at all. "It was? But how can I still see it?"

"Because it's so far away, the light takes time to get here," Ty explained. "I'm sure it'll be seen for a long time, considering how far away my planet was."

"But then, how did you get here?" she asked.

He shrugged. "My pod had enough energy to travel fast, but from what I can guess, I slipped through some kind of wormhole which opened up here. And Metro Douche's pod followed mine."

At this comment Roxanne raised an eyebrow, but in an amused way. "Metro Douche?"

"Ugh! I mean Metro _Dude_! Sorry-"

"It's OK. I think I like 'Metro Douche' better." She started giggling, which hastily turned into a fit of laughter. Ty wasn't sure what to make of it, but her laughter set him off, and soon, both were leaning against each other with tears of laughter rolling down their cheeks.


	5. Chapter Five: Secrets

Another post for this week's theme on LJ. Not really much to say about this one, so...I hope people like it.

* * *

It was gone midnight when Roxanne climbed off the bus and began to make her way back to her home. The "date" had gone better than she thought; the girl had enjoyed herself, as had Ty (from what she could tell by his giddy expression, anyway); it had given her the encouragement to arrange another one, only this one would be at an earlier time, even if still in a secluded location.

Roxanne was passing through Terry and Tianna's neighbourhood when a black limousine parked outside her friends' house caught her attention. Her keen observations soon picked up who it was; the number plate which read '_SC0 TT_' gave it away. The girl dived behind a bush when two figures climbed out.

She would recognize the bulking hunk of muscle and her best friend anywhere; Wayne and Tianna were together, the former with a charming smile planted on his face while the latter giggled like a thirteen year old girl with a crush. Roxanne couldn't hear what they said, but her guess was that Wayne had taken her friend to the opening, and unless her eyes were deceiving her, Tianna had enjoyed it. As the limousine pulled away, leaving Tianna to let herself in, Roxanne began to ponder why Wayne had taken her.

When the answer was clear Roxanne had to roll her eyes. She'd turned him down, so Wayne had taken her best friend instead to get back at her. To try and make her jealous. Well, it wasn't working. Roxanne just wasn't interested in him, and never would be. The rich boy could take Tianna to Hollywood, for all she cared; she wasn't about to get jealous.

But she hoped that Wayne didn't break Tianna's heart. Because, super powers or not, there would be _dire_ consequences.

* * *

When she finally reached her room, Roxanne decided that get _up_ was far more difficult than getting _down_. Her hands were red and saw from hauling her weight up and she'd almost twisted her ankle half way. But she made it, and noting there were no lights on in the house, she was certain her parents were asleep. Even her mother.

Roxanne slipped out of her trainers by treading on the heels as she shed her hoodie; then she reached and pulled her bed covers off the pillows...

...and cried out in hushed surprise.

There was her father, in the place of the pillows she'd hidden underneath the covers. His blue eyes were staring at her questioningly while one brown eyebrow was raised. The teen knew she was busted.

"Dad..." she began. _Play it casual_. "Um...you know this is my bed, right? Did Mum kick you out of yours?"

Rowan said nothing. He only climbed out of her bed and stood before her, looking down upon his daughter with his arms folded across his front. "You were out late," he said flatly. "You know you shouldn't be out this late; the city's dangerous at this time of night."

"I know." Roxanne averted her gaze to the floor in shame.

The man didn't back down. "You were seeing a boy, weren't you?"

It would be an understatement to say that Roxanne was surprise. Her blue eyes were wide when she turned to meet his eyes. "How did you-?"

"I'm your father," he said simply. "I know these things. Teenage girls sneak out a night for two reasons. Reason one: They're seeing a boy. Or reason two: They're going to a party. Which usually includes the former, as well. And since you don't like going to those sorts of parties I assumed you were seeing a boy."

Roxanne couldn't deny it; she'd been caught. "Yes."

"Does he have a name?" her father continued.

"Ty." Her father was aware of the two alien boys who attended her school, and while he knew who Wayne Scott was, he didn't know the name of the other. So for the moment, Roxanne knew she was safe.

Her father nodded. "Will we be meeting him?"

The teen was almost horrified at the thought. Not that she was embarrassed by Ty; she just didn't want her father scaring him off with his overprotective nature. And she knew her mother would have a hooley fit if she realized her daughter was seeing a big headed, blue skinned alien. "If it gets serious, then maybe," she deemed it safe to answer. She wasn't sure if it _would_ get serious...but a deeper part of her hoped it would.

Rowan nodded again. "Is he good looking?"

Roxanne didn't know how to answer that one _at all_. "Well..." She hesitated. "He doesn't look...like a normal good-looking guy would look. He has his own look, which I think is charming in itself. I'm more attracted to his personality." _Did I just say 'attracted'?_ "He's sweet, smart and caring. And he's also very shy."

"Good." It was clear that her father was pleased with her choice. "Nice to see you're not judging people by their looks; it's what's on the inside that counts, after all. As long as you're happy with him. But if he breaks your heart I'll break his leg."

His daughter couldn't help but laugh. "_Dad!_"

The man chuckled. "I'm joking!" He raised his hands up in defence. "But he _will_ have no where to hide if he does." Rowan came to stand beside his daughter and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Just don't sneak out this late again. I don't want you to get hurt."

He placed a kiss atop of Roxanne's short brown locks, and she smiled. "I know. We'll be seeing each other after school and during lunch times. Once he comes back after his suspension."

That caught her father's attention. "He got suspended?" He didn't like the idea of his daughter dating a bad boy.

"Don't worry, it's not what you think," Roxanne quickly assured him. "It was his fault, but he didn't mean to do it. He turned and punched another boy in the face...but I think it was because he saw the Scott kid ask me out."

They both chuckled light-heartedly.

* * *

Roxanne's hopes for somewhat of a serious relationship became closer to reality as the weeks went by. During Ty's suspension the pair saw each other after school, meeting in secluded places like the old observatory again, areas in the park hidden by bushes and trees, the abandoned movie theatre (which Ty was able to get up and running) and even the woods south of the city.

The secrecy bothered Roxanne; she'd come to realize that she didn't care what other people thought of her, and would happily be seen with Ty. But the boy insisted that he didn't like people staring at him, nor did he want Roxanne to be the subject of hate because of him. His amazing impression of a kicked puppy convinced her to keep their meetings secret.

When he was allowed back into school Roxanne slyly began to sit next to him in her other classes (apart from home room, where she already _was_) – always towards the back, so neither the other students or the teacher could see them passing notes. During one of their English classes Ty passed her a particularly amusing doodle of their teacher, and Roxanne nearly got herself into trouble by snickering.

They gave each other a quick smile whenever they met in the hallway, or whenever they collected their books from their lockers, and during some lunchtimes Roxanne would hide with him under the rows of seats on the playing fields and share her lunch with him. Minion sometimes joined them, too. Seeing Ty in such a way gave Roxanne a sense of excitement, and she came to grow used to the secrecy of it.

But it wasn't the only secret. Roxanne noticed that Tianna was also constantly disappearing during lunchtimes and after school, although the teen knew who her friend was seeing. She couldn't understand why the coloured girl was keeping it a secret; the only reason she could think of was that Wayne had told her to, so as not to ruin his reputation in seeing someone he usually deemed a 'nobody'. Roxanne wondered why; if he wanted to make her jealous, wouldn't he be announcing it to everyone? She could tell that Tianna was just _dying_ to.

Both the girls' absences confused poor Terry, who often found himself eating his lunch without his sister and friend. Bernard, on the other hand, couldn't care less, and enjoyed the silence.

The school days continued on, as did the secrets, but each keeper should have known that their secrets wouldn't stay that way for long.

* * *

When school ended one day Roxanne signalled to Ty to hang back, which he did. They waited for the halls to clear as the other students made for the front entrance, which soon turned into a struggle as it always did – after all, it was Friday afternoon, and the other kids wanted out as soon as possible.

Ty grabbed Roxanne's hand to prevent from losing her in the stampede; suddenly a Senior barged into them, sending the pair headlong into the janitor's closet which had been opened. More students hurrying by caused it to slam shut.

Not that Roxanne or Ty noticed. They were too focussed on the fact that she had landed on top of him, and that their faces were mere inches from each others. Roxanne's cheeks blushed red while Ty's blushed purple, and the "couple" quickly climbed to their feet. For a few moments there was an awkward silence.

"That was...close," Ty finally spoke. Roxanne turned to him when she noticed how nervous he sounded. "For a moment there it looked like we were about to do that...sucking thing with our lips."

"Sucking thing?" At first Roxanne didn't understand, but when she figured it out she almost laughed at her new friend's interpretation of it. "Oh, you mean kissing?"

He nodded. "Yes, _koosing_."

At first Roxanne allowed herself to laugh, but she calmed herself down when she realized something. "You've...you've never kissed anyone before, have you?"

"Er..." Ty contemplated lying. He didn't want to sound like such a virgin in front of her; most girls liked boys with experience. But he found that he couldn't lie to her, so sighed. "No. If you think about it...what girl would want to kiss _this_?" He gestured to himself.

Roxanne understood where he was coming from. But during the same moment she felt the sudden urge to kiss him herself; the girl hesitated, unsure whether she should or not, but scolded herself when she began to think it would be weird to kiss the blue skin. It wouldn't be disgusting; she'd already felt his skin, and it was far softer than her own. Almost as soft as a baby's.

"I would," she finally spoke.

The boy was speechless for a few moments. "You...you don't have to lie to me, Roxanne. No one wants to kiss me. Who would want to kiss this hideous blue-" But he was suddenly cut off by Roxanne grabbing his shoulders, pulling him in and planting one on him.

His eyes remained open in shock for the few seconds which it lasted, and remained so when she pulled away and gave him a tender look. "You're not hideous," she told him. "You're just _you_. And I'm glad you are." She hated Wayne, the other kids – and herself – for giving him the impression that no one wanted him because he was hideous.

Ty was stunned. So much so that Roxanne swore he'd stopped breathing. But then his hands slowly rose towards her, and very gently, he cupped her cheeks. His smooth skin felt lovely against her own, and Roxanne raised her own hands to grip his wrists in encouragement.

"What about you?" he asked.

She knew what he was referring to. "No. I've never been kissed by a boy before. I've been saving my first for someone...special." The girl gave him an encouraging look.

For Ty, the message was beyond his wildest dreams, but it was also loud and clear. Very slowly he leaned in and placed his lips lightly on hers.

* * *

Wayne was peeved.

The plan he had come up with was simple; he would date that Tianna girl – Roxanne's best friend – for a few weeks. Without telling anyone, of course. His reputation would be bruised if people found out he was dating a nobody like her. But Roxanne was nosy; she would wonder what was going on and investigate. Then she would see the two of them together, get jealous, and change her mind about him. That was the plan, anyway.

But weeks had passed, and Roxanne hadn't approached him. She hadn't even shown any interest in what Tianna had been hiding from her – almost like she didn't care. It was just as mind-boggling as the fact that she'd rejected him in the first place.

The teen made his way through the empty school hallways. He always waited until the crowd had gone for two reasons; he didn't want to hurt anyone by accident, and he didn't want any of his fangirls following him. But as he walked his super hearing detected the sound of two people kissing. In the janitor's closet.

He rolled his eyes. It wasn't the first time he'd heard two kids kissing in there, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But as he began to pass he realized that the voices sounded...familiar. So he curiously activated his x-ray vision and peered through the door.

What he saw set a fire of rage in his heart. Roxanne and Ty were kissing. The girl he was after was kissing the blue alien freak. _Why would she kiss him? Has he brainwashed her? No, someone who was brainwashed wouldn't react at all; they would become drones. And she certainly doesn't look it_.

For a moment he contemplated barging in on them and dragging Roxanne away. But no...she wouldn't like that. It would only push her away more. So he thought; he hadn't even known they were going out.

_Unless...unless they've been hiding it_. It occurred to Wayne that maybe...maybe Roxanne didn't want anyone to know about it. Which meant that if he told people...

The boy smirked evilly. Rumours spread like wildfire in high school; come next Monday the pair would be ruined.


	6. Chapter Six: Hard Lessons

I know I'm updating this one a lot, but...all the themes just keep on fitting. ;D

Also, unrelated to the chapter, but on my profile page I have a new poll. If you have an account would you mind voting?

I hope this chapter is...OK.

* * *

Roxanne was thankful she caught wind of the rumours before she went to school on Monday. Everyone online was talking about it, and the girl refused to answer any messages from her friends and any other curious students for the entire weekend. She was pissed, but thankful she had found out about them. Because then, not only could she warn Ty, but she was prepared for the reaction of the other students when she walked through the front entrance.

Stares, whispers, and the occasional comment thrown her way. But Roxanne took it like an adult, held her head high and continued walking. She picked up her pace a little when she passed by the jocks, but it was no use; Wayne stepped out in front of her and blocked her path.

"Wayne, move."

The boy stopped her when she tried to side-step him. "Not quite yet," he spoke with a smug grin planted on his face. "Roxie, I've heard rumours about you recently. Horrible rumours."

Roxanne played the cool card by answering, "Like what?"

"About you and that little freak," another jock spoke up. "People have been saying he used his alien mind control powers on you."

"And that he's using them to make you his girlfriend," his mate added.

Another said, "Or it's his first step in taking over the world, and she's his first victim."

"Or maybe he's like one of those vampires who like to play with their victims before they eat them."

"Or maybe I actually like him," Roxanne finally interrupted. This comment was met with stares of disbelief.

Followed by cat-calls. "Oooohhhh, what a little slut."

"You like bedding freaks, or something, Roxie?"

"It's _Roxanne_!"

Wayne placed a firm hand on her shoulder and turned her towards him again – Roxanne was sure there'd be a bruise later. "Roxie, you need to understand. He's blue, bald and different. You shouldn't like him. He's an alien."

Roxanne only raised an eyebrow. "And you're not?"

Her comment earned a few cat-calls of her own, and with that, Roxanne took the chance to pass him and hurry away towards home room. She didn't notice Metro Dude's clenched jaw as she turned the corner.

The teen knew what was coming; hate, hurtful comments, and maybe a few protests from the other students. But she found herself not caring. Why should she give up Ty just so she could be accepted by the ones who were in the wrong to begin with? Roxanne was thankful for the one thing she had inherited from her mother: stubbornness.

Before she reached home room her way was blocked once again. But this time it was Tianna.

"Girl, what's the matter with you?" she began. Roxanne rolled her eyes; _here we go_. "I mean, I don't believe those rumours about him mind controlling you; Ty's different, but he _is_ harmless if you think about it. But why are you going out with him?"

"Because I like him," Roxanne replied honestly. "It's not about what's on the outside; it's what's on the _inside_. He's sweet, caring, funny-"

"Have you forgotten he's an alien?"

"Wayne's an alien."

"Yeah, but he's a _hot_ alien, and he looks like us," her friend pointed out. "Ty's..._too_ different."

"He's no different than you or me, Tia."

"And on top of it all, you turned down _Metro Dude_, the hottest guy in school – alien or not – for _Ty_!"

"I bet you're not complaining since he's dating _you_." Tianna's eyes widened, as did Roxanne's; she hadn't meant to say that, but there was no turning back now.

"How do you know that?"

"Tia, it's _me_." It was like her friend didn't know her at all. "Of course I'm going to find out sooner or later. But that's not the only thing I found out." She placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder; this was going to hurt Tia, but being a good friend, Roxanne had to do it. "Tia, I think he's using you to get to me."

For a moment Tianna just looked at her in silence. But then she shook her head. "You're lying."

"Tia, I wouldn't lie to you-"

"How do I know that?" she demanded. "You've made it clear that you don't like him; you could just be trying to keep me away from him. Wayne's the future hero of Metro City; he wouldn't lie, and he certainly wouldn't use me."

"But you need to remember that he's also the son of the city's richest citizen," Roxanne tried to explain. "He's always gotten what he wanted. So when he couldn't have me, he decided to use my best friend – you – to try and make me jealous." _I won't be surprised if he was the one who spread the rumour, too_.

But Tianna kept shaking her head. "No...he wouldn't do that. He's a good guy. A _great_ guy. And he's gentle with me; Rox, he has super strength and yet, he hasn't left a single mark on me."

Roxanne gazed deep into her friend's eyes...and saw something. Something she couldn't believe. Love. Pure and devoted love. Before, she only thought Tianna to have a crush on the rich boy, like every other girl in the school. But this...this was different. _Love is always blind_. She knew she couldn't help her friend by trying to convince her; Tianna would have to find out the truth for herself.

"Fine," she finally spoke. "Believe what you want to believe. But I'll leave you and Wayne alone if you leave Ty and I alone."

She strode into their home room before Tianna could even respond.

* * *

Ty was in all her classes that day, but even when she sat next to him he didn't speak. He didn't even _look_ at her – Roxanne thought he was upset with her, but when she turned his way she found him looking at her for a moment, before he quickly averted his gaze away. The look in his eyes...they were apologetic. As if he felt sorry for her...and somehow believed it was his fault.

It broke Roxanne's heart to see him like that.

Lunch period rolled around, and on her way to the lunch hall Roxanne encountered Hal, who had decided to voice his own opinion on her relationship with Ty. "Hey, Roxie! I'm really sorry to hear about what's going on with you and that little blue freak. I totally feel sorry for you, just so you know. It's clear he's not controlling you; otherwise you'll be walking around like a zombie. But he must have paid you, right? Tell me; if there's anything I can do for you, Roxie, I'll do it."

Roxanne, who had been ignoring the red head as she walked, suddenly froze when a sight up ahead caught her attention. Ty was surrounded by _The Four Ds_, and from what she could tell, it wasn't a friendly encounter. Hal was left standing alone when she quickened her pace towards the confrontation.

She could hear what they were saying as she came closer. "You think you're all that, don'cha? Trying to steal our women," Cameron was saying.

"Why don't you go back to the condemned planet from which you came from and find your own freak girl?" Nick added. He made his point clear by giving Ty a shove.

"And why don't you dicks just mind your own business and leave him alone?" Ty's eyes widened when Roxanne stepped in, took his hand in hers and began to lead him away.

But the four boys stopped them. "Well, if it isn't the little slut herself," Joe spoke.

"What's the matter, _Roxanne_?" Sam continued. "Us Earth boys not good enough for you?"

"Dude, if _Metro Dude_ wasn't good enough for her, then she has some very high standards," Cameron commented. "So it's beyond me why she would sink as low as _him_."

Ty wanted to jump at the boys. But he knew it was a battle he wouldn't win, so kept his fists to himself. Roxanne was in the same situation as him. _Come on, you've got a spotless permanent record. Don't let a stupid dick change that_.

"Come on," Nick spoke up. "Why don't I show you what it feels like to be with a _real_ man." He tried to slide his arm around Roxanne's waist.

But she slapped it away. "The only _real_ man around her is him." She jerked her thumb at Ty, who was finding it harder to repress the urge to punch at least one of them in the face.

Nick sent her a look of anger. "Don't make me slap you, bitch."

"You wouldn't slap a girl."

Too late did Roxanne realize this was the wrong thing to say. The back of Nick's hand came in contact with her face, and she stumbled backwards from the force of it. Immediately she brought her hand up to her face to soothe the stinging.

But when she glanced at Ty, she was almost frightened. _Almost_. The look in his eyes was that of pure rage, and with the emotion in control of his movements, Ty leapt at Nick and gave him a good punch in the face. Immediately the other three boys were upon him, dragging him off their mate and pinning him to the floor. Roxanne tried to help by grabbing Sam (the notably weaker boy of the four), but he and Joe turned and grabbed her, holding her back. Around them other students had gathered, chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Suddenly Joe was dragged away from her, giving Roxanne a chance to pin Sam against the lockers. She glanced sideways and noticed Terry on the floor with Joe, both fighting for control of the other. She glanced over at Ty, who was being held by Nick and Cameron. "TY!" Nick was about to punch him, but then suddenly – to everyone's utter shock – _Bernard_ leapt at him and pinned him. This gave Ty a chance to fight back, but with his obviously thin build he wasn't a match for Cameron.

Until something else completely unexpected happened. "I'm coming, sir!" There were more gasps when a ball suddenly flew and collided with Cameron's head; that ball contained a determined – and _very_ protective – Minion.

"Minion!" Ty quickly scooped up his friend before Cameron could kick him away; the boy leapt at Ty again, but Minion pushed against his sphere so he flew from his charge's arms and directly into Cameron's face.

At the sound of a whistle the crowd began to break up, and both Mr. Jameson and Principal White appeared, the latter blowing the whistle. "All right! All right! Break it up! All of you!"

Sam stopped struggling against Roxanne while Terry and Joe stopped fighting, too. Cameron was too dazed to continue fighting, so had no choice. Only Nick tried to jump and Ty again, but a trip from Bernard sent him to the floor. Roxanne glanced over at the two teachers and saw Tianna stood behind them, biting her lip. It warmed her heart to know that her friend had run for help, even after their disagreement earlier on.

"Now," the principal spoke, "I want all of you in my office immediately."

* * *

Principal White wanted the truth. So, to avoid arguments and disruptions, he called Roxanne into his office while the others waited outside with the nurse. Roxanne explained the whole story; the four boys had been bothering Ty, so she had stood up for him. This had led to Nick slapping her, evidently starting the fight. Ty leapt to her defence, and because they were outnumbered, Terry and Bernard (and Minion) had leapt to their defence, as well.

The principal was understanding, and obviously not stupid. He knew that the four boys were at fault, and that the others had only been defending not only themselves, but each other, too. Joe, Sam, Nick and Cameron were suspended for ten days while the others only received referrals for their involvement – Ty received two, since it was clear he had brought a pet into school when it was against the rules.

Ty and Roxanne sat outside the office with ice packs; Roxanne's was against her wrist while Ty's was against his head. Minion was sat on Ty's lap, his autumn brown eyes averted to the floor sadly. _The Four Ds_ had already gone home, and Bernard and Terry were back in class. Roxanne had been sent back too, but she had wanted to stay with Ty for a little longer; the boy was waiting for his guardian to come and pick up Minion.

For a while, there was only silence. "Thanks," Roxanne finally spoke.

"I wasn't about to let that _buffoon_ get away with slapping you," Ty replied. "But I should be thanking you; you came and stood up for me."

"It was the right thing to do," was Roxanne's answer.

"And thank you to you too, Minion." Ty gazed down at his fishy friend. "But you shouldn't have done that."

"I know, sir. I'm sorry." The sorrow in his eyes was evident. "But I couldn't just let them do that to you."

"How did you get out of his locker, anyway?" Roxanne asked curiously.

"If you bang the door a certain way, it opens," Minion explained. "So when I heard the fight, and heard you call out sir's name, I didn't hesitate in coming to help, too."

"But now you can't come back in," Ty pointed out.

Minion sighed. "I know."

Another silence followed. "I suppose...you know the secret's out, huh?" Roxanne began. Ty sighed, but said nothing. "I think it was Metro _Douche_." She didn't hesitate using the name Ty had called the super powered boy. "Although, I'm not sure how he found out..."

"It doesn't matter how he found out," Ty interrupted. He took in a deep breath, and let it out again. _I knew this was too good to last_. "It's over now. We can't...we can't..." He couldn't even say it.

"No, don't think like that," Roxanne told him sternly. "Just because everyone knows now doesn't mean we can't keep meeting."

"Yes, it does." Despite his face set in determination, the girl could see, plain as day, that he was trembling. "Roxanne, I don't want people hurting you because of me."

"I don't want you hurt either, but we shouldn't let that stop us."

"But if you get hurt, I'll never be able to live with myself." He sucked in another breath. "Did you think this would last, Roxanne? This...this was nothing more than a...high school fling." He flinched at his own words coming out of his mouth.

Roxanne didn't know what to say. "Is that what you thought it was? A fling?" Did the past few weeks mean nothing to him?

"I'm a virgin here, Roxanne! I don't know the difference!" Ty said back. "And besides...who would want to have anything more than a fling with me?" The boy screwed his eyes shut and turned away.

The little anger Roxanne had worked up died completely at his words. Of course he wouldn't know the difference; she'd had to guide him through a lot of things during their dates. But she hadn't minded in the slightest. Being with him had made her...happy. Truly happy. Happier than she'd ever been in her entire life. And she couldn't let him slip through her fingers like this.

"Ty, please-"

"No. Just...go back to class, Roxanne."

Roxanne bit her lip; she wanted to say something to him...but she knew he was right. She should have gone back to class with Terry and Bernard earlier, and she didn't want to risk another referral. So, taking the hall pass from her pocket, she placed her ice pack on the chair and left, walking slowly along the hallways with her arms hugging her sides.

She could _feel_ the green eyes watching her go.

* * *

The front door broke off its hinges after Wayne slammed it shut angrily. Luke, who had been waiting for his brother, gave him a questioning look. "What's the matter with _you?_" he asked.

But Wayne ignored him, storming up to his bedroom and slamming that door closed, too (causing it to also break off its hinges).

Who knew that Roxanne _didn't care_ if people knew about herself and Ty? He certainly couldn't believe it. Why would she choose the freak over _him_? It just didn't make any sense.

Wayne was determined not to give up. A Scott always got what he wanted, and a girl was no exception. So he did what he had to do. He called up a friend and made arrangements; thankfully his mate was already having a get together that night. Then, he called Roxanne's little friend and arranged to meet her.

The boy smiled. Tonight, he would have Roxanne. One way or another.


	7. Chapter Seven: Following Tianna

OK, I have a lot to say before I start.

First off, sorry this took so long. Not only did I experience mild writer's block, but this chapter was hard to write because of the...subject.

It's a rather touchy subject, and I wanted to get it right (I don't know if I did, even now; if I do offend anyone, I apologize now). It's something which happens more often than we realize; it was touched upon by this year's Comic Relief, as well. It's nothing explicit, but if the rating does need to be higher, then please tell me. And if anyone has experienced - or know people who have experienced - something like this, then I apologize again.

Wayne is a bit OOC in this. I know he is, but please bear with me. It'll all make sense in the next few chapters.

Also, there's some Indonesian in here; I did use Google Translator, but please tell me if it's wrong.

And on a final, more humerous note, there's a line in here from _Blackadder_. Cookie goes to those who can spot it. xD

I really do hope I didn't mess up with this one.

Oh, and this story has passed 100 reviews on here!

* * *

"Really, Bernard, I do appreciate what you did today," Roxanne told her dry, sarcastic friend over the phone. It was evening, and the sun had only just hidden itself beneath the horizon. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Neither did I," the sandy-haired boy on the other end replied. Even on the phone his voice was without emotion. "Those boys just annoy me. It was about time someone stood up to them. And it was satisfying that a nerd like me could pin down a boy like Nick."

Roxanne laughed. "I bet Sam wasn't too impressed that a girl could pin him down, either." There was a beep, and pulling back to look at her phone Roxanne noticed there was another caller. "Can you hang on for a few seconds, Bernie? There's another caller."

"Please don't call me that," Bernard informed. "And I have to go anyway. I've got boring homework to be getting on with."

The girl didn't know how, but Bernard's dry and sarcastic attitude amused her. "Sorry, Bernard. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Meh."

He hung up, leaving Roxanne free to press another button to accept the second call. "Hello?"

"Rox, it's me, Terry," the familiar voice of her best friend's twin brother spoke. "Can I talk to Tia for a moment? Mum wants to know if-"

"Sorry?" Roxanne frowned in confusion at what the boy had asked of her. "What do you mean 'can you talk to Tia for a moment'? She's with you at home, isn't she?"

"No?" She could hear the confusion in the boy's voice on the other end. "She told me she was going round to yours for a sleepover."

It clicked in the future reporter's head, and she felt like banging her head against the table. Tianna had "snuck out" to see Wayne; she didn't know how many times she had done it, but no doubt this wouldn't be the first time. The girl didn't know what to think of her friend; sneaking out after dark wasn't the best idea in the world, and she knew this from experience – and she knew she couldn't talk. But Ty was the real thing, while Metro Dude was fake.

Enough was enough. Roxanne decided it was about time someone confronted the false couple about this, and considering this had started because of her, she was going to be the one to do it. But she knew she couldn't do it alone. "She hasn't, Terry," the teen told her friend. "And any time she's said she's round mine over the last couple of weeks are lies, too."

"Lies?" Terry didn't know what to say; his sister had never lied before, and he certainly didn't expect it from her. "What are you talking about, Roxanne?"

"I don't want to explain it over the phone," Roxanne explained. "Just... Look, how fast can you get over here?"

"Well, I'll have to tell my parents-"

"No, no telling parents," she informed. "It's really complicated, but you're going to have to trust me. I'll explain everything when you get here. Just...get here soon, OK?"

On the other end there was a pause, before she heard a sigh. "OK. I'll be round there soon."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later the pair were walking up the long hill outside the suburbs towards the Scott mansion. Roxanne had explained the whole story to Terry, who was annoyed at the fact that his sister was so naïve – and angry at Metro Dude for using her.

"I'm telling you, if that boy didn't have super powers I would happily acquaint him with my fist." He punched said fist into the palm of his other hand. "No one takes advantage of my sister and gets away with it. That goes for both my girls."

"Shelley too, then?"

"I've already planned to have words with the parents who keep pushing her into things she doesn't want to do," he informed. "Her mother wants her to marry a handsome _white_ man while her father wants her to go into the acting business, like him. It's not fair on her."

Roxanne shook her head with a smile at her friend's over-protectiveness. Finally they arrived at the large front door of the mansion; Roxanne pressed the doorbell, and the pair waited. After a short while a woman who looked foreign answered the door.

"Hi," Roxanne greeted her. "Is Mr. Wayne Scott in?"

The woman frowned. "_Maaf, saya tidak berbicara bahasa Inggris_."

"Um..." Roxanne didn't know what to do. Trust the Scotts to hire a maid who didn't speak – or understand – a word of English.

"She's speaking in Indonesian," Terry recognized. "Looks like learning that language didn't turn out to be so useless, after all. I told you it wasn't." Roxanne rolled her eyes as he addressed the woman. "_Maaf, Madam. Kami mencari Mr. Wayne Scott. Apakah dia di sini__?_"

The woman understood this. "_Tidak, dia tidak ada di sini. Aku tidak tahu di mana dia_."

"What did she say?" Roxanne asked.

"She's says he's not here, and she doesn't know where he is," her friend explained.

"_Tunggu_," the woman spoke up. "_Aku akan mengambil Scott muda. Dia mungkin tahu__._" And with that, she closed the door and disappeared.

Roxanne sent Terry a questioning look. "What did she say?"

"She said she's fetching the younger Scott, or something like that," her friend explained.

No sooner had he said this, the door opened again and instead of the Indonesian woman, a younger boy of nine stood staring up at them. The pair guessed he was the younger brother of Wayne. He didn't look anything like the older boy, but they could understand this; Wayne was adopted, after all.

"Hello, there," she spoke to the young boy. "What's your name?"

"Luke."

"Well, Luke, we're friends of your brother, and we're trying to find him," Roxanne continued. "Do you know where he is?"

The kid only shrugged. "I du'know. He said he was going some-place with this girl... Actually, I think he wrote the address down somewhere. Hold on." The boy disappeared. A few minutes later he reappeared and handed a slip of paper to Roxanne; upon it was an address.

She recognized the neighbourhood... But it was the rougher part of the suburbs. The area where the people on unemployment benefits lived. Why would Wayne take Tianna there?

"Are you sure this is it?" she asked the boy.

Luke shrugged again. "Like I said, I du'know. He was talking on the phone to someone, saying he would be bringing this girl with him, and then he wrote that down. Then he called someone else and left."

Roxanne and Terry exchanged glances. That didn't sound too good. "Well, thanks for your help," Roxanne thanked him.

"What're your names, by the way?"

"Oh, I'm Roxanne and this is Terry," Roxanne introduced.

"You're Roxanne?"

"Yes, why?"

The boy sneered at her. "You're stupid."

Roxanne didn't know how to react to that. At all. "Excuse me?"

"Wayne told me about you," Luke continued. "He said you didn't want to go out with him. And that isn't right; me and my brother are the most important people in the city, and we get whatever we want! And that includes girls!"

The girl tried to hold back her temper; this was the son of a Lord, after all. But it was becoming increasingly hard. "Listen to me, you little brat. I don't know what your brother's been teaching you, but that kind of attitude won't win you any friends, or any girls, for that matter! If you want to get yourself a girl, then you need to give her what _she_ wants rather than give yourself what _you_ want."

"You're only a girl! You should be the one giving yourself to my brother!" the boy shouted.

Sensing the dangerous look in Roxanne's eyes, Terry stepped in between the two before things could get out of hand. "All right, that's enough, break it up! Rox, we don't have time for this. No point wasting your breath on a little brat like him."

Roxanne knew he was right. They had more important matters to attend to. She turned back to the little boy and sent him a sneer. "Tell your maid it was a pleasure meeting her. But it wasn't a pleasure meeting _you_." And with that she turned and left, Terry following along behind her. Behind them they heard the door slam shut. "What a spoilt brat that boy was."

"The rich kids tend to be like that," Terry informed. "Not all of them, but most are. Wayne is living proof as well."

"Speaking of the devil..." Roxanne showed him the piece of paper. "Why would he have taken Tianna to that neighbourhood? I don't like the sound of it."

"Neither do I," the boy agreed. "What could they be doing there?"

"I don't know," his friend said with determination, "but we're about to find out."

* * *

Another ten minutes later, the pair were crouched down behind the bushes outside the house. It was of medium size, rather battered up, and quite secluded from the other houses in the area. Music could be heard playing loudly inside, but it didn't sound like a party; no one was laughing or cheering. And most of the lights were turned off besides the one downstairs.

Inheriting her nosing gift from her father, Roxanne could tell something wasn't right. "I don't like the look of this."

"I think I've heard about something like this from my dad," Terry remembered. "Since the cops always suspect drug dealers to meet in dark alleys, the dealers now do it in ordinary homes such as this one. They make it look like some kind of party while really, there's a small gathering of dealers."

"Wayne's dealing drugs?" Half of her was surprised while the other half wasn't. For some reason, she never thought Wayne to be the type to do that kind of thing, jerk or not. But then again...the richer usually were the drug dealers. Maybe Wayne was filling in for his father? That would be a good threat to use; expose the Scott family for illegal behaviour if he didn't leave herself or her friend alone. "Maybe Tia will finally see what kind of guy he really is. If he hasn't hidden her in a back room."

"What do we do now?"

Roxanne bit her lip as she thought. "I'll try and sneak in through one of the back windows. Then I'll try and find Tia and get her out; we can confront Wayne later. When he won't have other men with him."

"Rox, are you crazy? Who knows what they'll do to you!"

"It's a risk I'll take," she spoke with determination. "My dad's done far more dangerous work than this. I'll be in and out before you can say Antidisestablishmentarianism." With that she took off into the shadows towards the house.

Terry watched her go. "Don't know about that. Antidisna...min... Antidid..amin... Blimey, she was right."

* * *

After some searching, Roxanne was able to find a window to climb through. It was the downstairs bathroom window, and she slipped through without any trouble. Almost as if the people inside had been wanting someone to break in. But then again, if some of the men were on drugs, they wouldn't be thinking straight.

Cautiously she followed the music through the house until she reached the living room; she paused, before carefully peering in. To her surprise there weren't any drugs in sight. But there _was_ alcohol, and some of the men were smoking. _Men_. There were quite a few of them, all older than herself but only by a few years.

She could only see two girls, both sat on the couch. One looked to be either nineteen or twenty, and like some of the men, she was smoking. She looked cool and relaxed...but Roxanne couldn't help but notice that she was hiding behind a protective mask. As if she knew something was about to happen and was prepared for it.

The second was Tianna. She was sat next to the older girl, shifting uncomfortably and glancing nervously at the men, but mostly she kept her head down and her gaze fixed on the floor. Something definitely wasn't right.

Roxanne wondered if it would be worth trying to get her attention; would it be too risky? She contemplated leaving and calling the cops. But suddenly a hand was slapped over her mouth and an arm grabbed her around the waist. Roxanne tried to struggle, but whoever had her was too strong. _Far_ too strong...

Dread passed through her entire body when she realized who had her.

Metro Dude turned her round to face him, confirming her suspicions. "Well, well. Your nosy ways finally got the better of you. Good. I was hoping they would. I would have hated to move onto Plan D." Roxanne tried to struggle again, but it was no use. "Now, now, Roxie. I mean it when I say I don't want to hurt you. But you asked for this; you were just so hard to get. But now...I think I liked the chase. Now I've caught you I can finally claim my prize."

At this point he removed his hand from her face – and she spat at him. "Bastard! You're more of a jerk than I thought you were! You hold some kind of weird gathering just to lure me?"

"Not only that," he explained. "You see, my mate organizes these...gatherings for specific purposes. For men who want to...satisfy themselves. For only a small cost, as well. Fairly reasonable, I think."

It clicked, but for Roxanne, it was more like a tree snapping in two before crashing to the ground. She'd heard about these kinds of gatherings. It was where men used girls for pleasure – basically, it was a more organized variation of rape.

"Wayne, I know you're a jerk, but this is low, even for you," she tried. She finally realized why Tianna was here; so she could be used in this way...and to lure her, too. "Please don't do this. You call yourself a hero; you're supposed to be stopping this."

"Sorry, Roxie," he apologized, "but a Scott always makes sacrifices and takes chances to get what they want. I wanted you; it's not my fault that you rejected me. If you hadn't then this whole thing could have been avoided. But no; instead you decide to go fuck with the blue freak."

"He's more of a man than you'll ever be!" Roxanne tried struggling again, but it was fruitless; she couldn't fight against someone with super strength.

"He's not even a _man_," Wayne pointed out. He held her firmly enough to guarantee a bruise there later. "Looks like you need to be taught a lesson. After I have some time with you I think I'll let the other men have some, too." His eyes were cold – almost maddening. As if he wasn't thinking straight anymore.

And he wasn't. Roxanne knew he wouldn't go as far as this; he was a jerk, a snob, a suck up and a show off. But a rapist? She kept on repeating this in her mind as he proceeded to drag her up the stairs. It was then that Roxanne's usual strong front vanished and she began to cry out; she _begged_ for one of the men to have enough sense to stop this. But none of them moved – they were barely paying attention to her.

There was hope when Tianna, having heard the noise, ran out into the hallway. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers, and from this expression, Roxanne knew that everything had clicked inside her friend's mind. The truth was exposed before her very eyes...and she didn't know how to take it. "Wayne, what are you doing? Stop! Let her go!" The girl tried to go after her but another man grabbed her and forced her to sit back onto the couch.

Although it was quiet, Roxanne heard the other girl say, "It's no use. Once they have a girl, they won't let her go."

Roxanne was forced into one of the bedrooms. "I really don't want to do this, Roxie," Wayne explained. "But you've forced me. I'm going to get a condom; when I come back up, I don't want you to struggle or fight against me. Like I said before; I don't want to hurt you. Quite the opposite. But if you fight, then you'll leave me no choice."

He closed the door and locked it. Roxanne tried banging on it, crying out. "If you don't want to do this, then you don't have to! Please, Wayne!"

But Metro Dude ignored her. Calmly he walked down the stairs, but at the bottom he met with a boy around his age holding out fifty dollars. "Why don't I warm her up for you?" he asked.

Wayne was about to turn him down, but stopped when a thought occurred to him; he had hoped to be her first...but what use would that be if she came out of it with a broken arm? He hadn't been lying when he'd told her he didn't want her hurt; he didn't. Maybe if someone had some time with her first, it would break her – then she wouldn't struggle against him.

So he nodded, taking the money. Not that he needed it with a rich father. "Make it quick."

"I intend to."

* * *

Roxanne was sat on the bed in tears when someone entered. She didn't bother looking up; she knew it was Metro Dude. The girl braced herself as he approached; she wanted to fight him, but considering he could break her arm, she knew it wouldn't be a wise decision. It would be best to do what women usually did – disconnect themselves with the rest of their bodies and think of a memory.

The other occupant approached her slowly, before he sat on the bed and leaned right in to whisper something in her ear.

"Don't worry. I'm getting you out of here."


	8. Chapter Eight: A Place to Call Home

Hey, guess what I brought back from the dead? THIS STORY!

Yeah, sorry about the temporary hiatus this story appeared to be on. Real life got in the way, along with the dreaded writer's block, but now I've finally decided to save you all from that nasty cliffhanger I left!

Also, one whiny anonymous review on fanfic left me a perticularly pointless review about how I shouldn't be writing if I can't keep the characters in character (a review which has been deleted). So, I'll post this here for everyone to read: This is an AU. Sure, characters need to be recognizable, but the point of an AU is to play around with plot points, and even change the setting. Which also means that characters will change, too. They'll have different developments, so their personalities will be slightly different. So please, understand that.

This applies with Wayne in this story. Speaking of which, his behaviour will be explained in the next chapter. Please be patient.

I hope you guys forgive me!

* * *

Roxanne's eyes widened. She knew that voice. It was that same soothing voice she dreamt of in her sleep; that same voice which was so full of love whenever spoken to her; that same voice which belonged to the boy who she could openly admit she loved.

The girl's head turned, and she gasped. The boy sat on the bed had the normal skin tone of any human being, with jet black hair, but...his eyes were that unmistakably vivid green, so full of love and worry that it made her want to cry.

And she did. "Ty!" Instantly her arms were around him, and she buried her face into his fake form which surrounded his true one. The tears in her eyes leaked onto the hologram, causing it to malfunction and switch off.

Reluctantly the boy broke away in order to fix it. "Stupid, worthless creation of science," he muttered.

Roxanne pulled his hand away, and instantly, the boy was calmed by the feeling of her touch. She gave him a smile full of gratefulness and love, and Ty had to wonder what he had done to deserve such from a beautiful girl like Roxanne. "Don't."

Ty, at first, was confused. But this faded when Roxanne wrapped her arms around him again, sobbing into his chest. He couldn't blame her; even an emotionally strong girl like Roxanne would break under an experience such as this. "It's OK. I'm here now. And I'm getting you out."

"OK." Roxanne pulled away and managed a nod. "How?"

Again, Ty reluctantly let her go before hurrying over to the window and drawing his De-Gun. Changing the setting, he aimed it at the glass and fired; there was a flash of blue, before the glass was replaced with a small blue cube.

Despite her fear, Roxanne couldn't help but gasp in amazement. "It didn't even do the same to the window panel."

"I changed the strength of the setting," Ty explained with a shrug. As graceful as a cat, he climbed out the window and slid down the drain pipe. Roxanne watched with worry; she kept on glancing behind her, just in case Wayne entered the room at any given moment. Once Ty was standing below the window he looked up. "Jump. I'll catch you."

Roxanne hesitated. "You promise?"

"If I let you fall, I will punish myself for the rest of my life."

"I would prefer it if you didn't do that; you don't deserve it." She climbed out and stood on the windowsill, watching Ty get himself into position below. When she saw that he was ready, she screwed her eyes shut and jumped.

For seconds the wind rushed by her ears, and she half expected to land hard on the ground. But she didn't; instead she landed in a pair of warm, slim arms. Her eyes opened, and she found herself staring into two pools of green.

"Nice catch."

"Told you I wouldn't let you fall. I'd rather die." Despite wanting to hold her for longer, Ty eased her down gently to the ground.

"For someone with a slim build, you're surprisingly strong," Roxanne complimented.

Ty only shrugged. "Alien build. Now let's go before the other alien finds you gone, and I'm not talking about Minion."

They began to run. "Have you called the cops? Oh, and Terry's around here somewhere!"

"Yes, the cops are on their way, and where is he?"

"I don't know. Hiding in a bush, somewhere. Probably still trying to figure out how to say 'Antidisestablishmentarianism'."

Ty scoffed. "Come on, _everyone_ can say 'Antidisestablishmentarianism'!"

But Roxanne only stared at him. "OK, _how_ can you pronounce 'Antidisestablishmentarianism' when you can't even pronounce 'school' correctly?"

Before Ty could answer, the sound of sirens were heard, followed by several police cars surrounding the house. Ty dragged Roxanne off to the side as the officers leapt out with their guns drawn. As they hurried towards the house cautiously another car pulled up beside the two teenagers; it was black in colour, and from it out stepped a grey haired man with a moustache and glinting blue eyes. He was dressed in a well trimmed suit.

"Thanks for the call, Ty," he spoke, once he was stood in front of the two teenagers.

Ty nodded. "You know I'm always happy to help."

Meanwhile Roxanne was looking in between them, a confused look upon her face. "You two know each other?"

The boy hesitated a little and scratched the back of his neck. "Yes, uh... Roxanne, this is my guardian."

"John Warden," the man introduced, holding out a hand. Roxanne shook it. "Warden of the Metro City Prison for the Criminally Gifted."

Roxanne raised an eyebrow. "So you're a warden and...your name is-"

"If you say anything about the irony of it, I will have to spank you." Ty chuckled, shortly followed by Roxanne. But her laugh was weak; her heart wasn't really in it.

Suddenly there was a bang coming from inside the house, followed by a shout. "ROXANNE!"

Roxanne yelped at Wayne's voice, and Ty instantly had her behind him. John nodded to the officers by the door, who proceeded to knock it down in order to get inside.

Turning back to the two teens, he asked, "So this is Roxanne, hmm?" He gave Ty a knowing smirk. "The Living Goddess of Beauty?"

Ty's face turned a bright lilac colour, and Roxanne couldn't help but blush, too. "So he's told you about me?"

"Like an artist describing a masterpiece." That comment caused Roxanne to blush more.

Back at the house, officers were bringing out the men who had been partying downstairs, all in handcuffs; among them were Tianna and the other girl, but they were being escorted out calmly by female officers. One had an arm wrapped around Tianna, presumably telling her that everything was all right.

"Tianna!" Terry pushed his way through the crowd of officers, and when he was in front of his sister, he brought her into a tight hug. "You stupid, _stupid_ girl! You could've gotten yourself hurt! What were you even _thinking?_"

Tianna didn't answer. Instead she glanced over at Roxanne, her brown eyes revealing how sorry she was, before she buried her face into her brother's chest.

Another car pulled up, and it only took a quick glance for Roxanne to recognize it as her mother's. Both her parents were inside. "How did...?"

"I called them after I called the cops," Ty explained. "You gave me your house number as well, remember?"

Both Ritchis climbed out the car. Rowan jogged over to his daughter at a quick pace while Rhonda was taking it slower, still dressed in heels and her business suit. Roxanne had to wonder why she had even turned up at all.

But it didn't matter; she ran to meet her father's lung crushing hug. "Oh, Roxanne! Thank god! What did I tell you about sneaking out this late at night?"

"I'm sorry, Dad," his daughter apologized. "It's just...Tia was in trouble, and..." She didn't know what else to say. So instead, she hugged him again. "I promise, I won't do it again."

While this had been happening, Rhonda noticed Ty standing in the background, and with a look of utter disgust, spoke up, "Is someone going to remove that freak?"

Ty, already used to such comments, turned away and ignored it the best he could. The warden sent the woman a look. Rowan didn't know how to react to his wife's behaviour and just sent her a look, too. Roxanne, on the other hand, felt her heart fill with rage. The terror of what had only just happened was gone.

"Mother, that _freak_ just saved me from getting raped!" she yelled. "And what's more..." She trailed off, glancing towards the ground as a blush crept across her cheeks again. "...he's also my boyfriend."

From the look on Rhonda's face, anyone watching wouldn't have been surprised if she died of shock. Ty's eyes widened as well; _did she just call me what I think she called me?_ Rowan, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow and glanced towards the blue boy.

"So that's Ty, I presume?" Roxanne nodded. The man approached the boy and stood before him. Ty uncertainly turned his head up to face him, and was relieved when he saw Rowan smiling down at him. The father placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, for saving my daughter."

Ty weakly smiled back. "Why wouldn't I have- I mean, it was my pleasure- No! I mean, it was nothing- No! No! I mean, you're welcome- No! Ugh!"

Rowan only chuckled. "Don't hurt yourself, son. I know what you're trying to say." He turned to his daughter. "I like this boy, already."

Roxanne smiled.

"Rowan, you're going to let her date that _thing?_" Rhonda shouted angrily.

"He's not a _thing_, Mother!" Roxanne shouted back. "He's just as human as you or me!"

"_Human?_ That thing is _far_ from human-"

"Will you _shut up_, Rhonda!" Roxanne and Ty turned to Rowan with wide eyes; Roxanne had never seen her father so angry, and from what he had seen and heard of Rowan so far, Ty didn't expect this from the man, either. "You haven't cared about Roxanne for years, and only now you do because, let me guess, it _might_ affect your image! You don't even _deserve_ to have a say in what she does, and if you want to, maybe you should start caring about her more than your job!"

Rhonda just stared at him.

There was commotion back inside the house, and it was enough to draw attention away from the argument. "We're having some trouble with the Scott kid!" an officer called out the door.

Without warning something shot out the roof, leaving a whopping great hole behind. It was Metro Dude, without a doubt.

"Roxanne!" Ty cried, and he was instantly in front of her, holding her behind him should Wayne try and get to her.

But instead, the blur in the sky took off towards the lake. Tianna's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she watched the flying boy disappear.

"After him! He's dangerous, and we can't let him get away!" the chief of the police commanded. "Search the area; have all our patrols on alert!" Officers rushed around to do as commanded.

"What about Roxanne?" Ty asked the warden. "She was the one he tried to rape; he might come after her."

John thought this through. "Miss, does he know where you live, by any chance?"

"He's been harassing me for a while now, so I wouldn't be surprised if he does," the girl replied.

The older man nodded. "Then you need to stay some place safe until Mr. Scott has been taken into custody." He turned to her parents. "If it's all right with you, I would like to keep her under my care until the matter is resolved. There's several rooms in the prison where myself and the guards sometimes sleep; she can use one of those. There's no place safer."

Rowan nodded in agreement. "For as long as she needs to."

Rhonda, on the other hand, didn't look like she cared. Probably still trying to figure out why her daughter would turn down the son of a Lord in the first place. "Fine. As long as she's not staying with that blue... Then yes." She turned and strode back to the car.

Rowan only rolled his eyes. "I'll bring her stuff round later." Then he followed his wife.

All around the police were starting to leave; some were speaking into their radios, issuing commands, while others were taking away the rest of the men. Terry, Tianna and the other girl were also climbing into a car, most likely to be questioned about the incident. Roxanne watched them go sadly; she wished she had at least talked to Tianna.

When she turned back to Ty, he was snickering. "What's so funny?"

"You're mother's comment," he informed. "She doesn't know that I _live_ at the prison."

* * *

Hours later Roxanne was sat in the warden's office. An investigator had just finished questioning her, and after he left, the girl allowed herself to sigh. "Glad that's over." She stood up and retrieved the bag her father had dropped off earlier. "Now, which room?"

"First," John began, "could I talk to you for a moment?"

Roxanne gave him a confused look. "Sure. What about?"

The older man got to his feet, made his way around the desk and came up next to her. "About the lad." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "He's had a tough life, and it's my job to look out for him. I just want to make sure that you're...the real thing. I don't mean to offend you-"

"It's OK, I understand," she assured.

"You two have been at that school together since Freshman year," the warden began again, "so why have you chosen now to go out with him?"

The girl averted her gaze to the floor. "Because back when I first started, I only cared about what people would think of me. I was young. If anyone was seen hanging out with Ty, they would be outcast like him. One boy tried to do that and had to transfer because of it. But then – I'd say about a month ago now – something...happened. I don't know what changed, but...it was like I'd _seen_ him for the first time. And I found myself not caring what other people thought of me anymore. You may think I sound crazy, but that's what happened. And now...I don't think I could leave him for anything."

John smiled down at her. "That's all I wanted to hear. If you want my thoughts on the matter, I think you're exactly what he needs."

Roxanne smiled back. "Thank you, sir. Now, which room?"

"Any of them. Doesn't matter which." She left the room.

She went to open the second door on the left, but before she could, she heard something coming from inside the first. Curious, she side-stepped over to it. And when she opened the door, she wasn't sure what to make of the sight in front of her.

AC/DC was playing loudly. The walls were covered in AC/DC posters, along with posters about space, science and maths equations, along with some _Star Wars_ and _Star Trek_ posters. In the far corner sat a desk, covered with blue prints and sketches of machines which Roxanne couldn't even comprehend.

On the other side of the room sat a wardrobe and a chest of draws, both of which had been painted blue. The carpet was also blue. In the centre of the room was a bed; the posts were black, but the sheets and pillows were blue.

And finally, standing by the desk, were Ty and Minion, the fish swimming about in his robotic suit. Both heads turned, and two pairs of eyes widened at the sight of Roxanne.

"Roxanne?" Ty asked. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad to see you, or anything; I am! Glad to see you, I mean..." He trailed off before he could embarrass himself further.

"The warden sent me to my room, but when I heard music coming from in here..." Like him, she trailed off. "And I know this wouldn't be allowed, but...after what happened, I don't want to be alone."

Ty was blushing, his cheeks having changed that lilac colour Roxanne adored. "Well...I guess you could..." The girl couldn't help but giggle at his hesitation.

"So...er..." Minion felt like he was intruding on something private. "I think I'll just...power down." He allowed his suit to sit in the corner; then a little house lifted itself up inside the bowl, he wriggled in, before it lowered down again.

Thereby leaving Ty and Roxanne alone.

"So," the girl began, "you live in a prison, huh?"

Ty shrugged. "It was where my pod landed. For a few weeks afterwards, the warden didn't even know I was here; the inmates were trying to raise me. He found out when I built a tricycle out of licenses plates, complete with a little gun, and my uncles suggested I rode my trike outside. And the only way out was to blast a hole through the prison wall."

Roxanne couldn't help it. She burst out laughing at the image. "And you were only a few weeks old?"

"Yep," he replied. "After that the warden took me into his care. He gave me this room and looked after me. But..."

"But what?"

The alien teen sighed. "The "riot" I caused caught the government's attention. They wanted to remove me and...well... hopefully you've seen enough science-fiction movies to know what they wanted to do with me and Minion."

She shuddered. "That's sick."

"The warden would have none of it," Ty continued. "He got the prison doctor here to examine my blood and how my body worked; when it was revealed that – apart from the head size and the skin colour – I was just as human as everyone on this planet, he was able to get me a birth certificate. And even a green card, just in case."

"So what happened?"

"Well, the government weren't impressed, but they seemed satisfied with the knowledge that they didn't have to waste time dissecting me," the boy replied. "But they still wanted me. Probably to design weapons for them. They threatened that if I took one step outside the prison, they'd have me."

Roxanne gave a confused blink. "But you're attending high school?"

"The warden came to an agreement with them when I was fourteen," Ty continued. "He didn't want me cooped up in here any longer; despite my looks, he wanted me to experience the world. I couldn't live in this prison forever. So he arranged a deal; I would design things for NASA and various other companies, and in return, they would let me lead a free life. And it's been that way ever since."

"Wow." Roxanne didn't know what to say. "But were you enjoying your life? Before, I mean?" _Before I started talking to you?_

Ty understood what she meant. "Well... I kept on telling myself that it was better than being stuck in a government faculty were they treat you no better than animals. And...seeing you every day made it all worth while."

It caused pain to Roxanne's heart, knowing he'd been crushing on her the entire time. Minion had informed her of this a week ago; the girl didn't know if she would ever be able to make it up to Ty for ignoring him all throughout Freshman and Sophomore year, along with a good chunk of Junior year.

Not wanting to dwell on it, she decided to change the subject. "How did you know I was in trouble?" she asked.

"After what happened today," he explained, "Minion had a long conversation with me. He told me that you had already risked everything to hang out with me, and I shouldn't just send you away like that, after all you've done. So I was going to come round and apologize, but then I saw you and Terry running off, so I followed, and..." He shrugged. That was all he needed to say.

Roxanne smiled, before taking his hand in hers. "Thank you."

He smiled back. "What are boyfriend's for?" _Boy, does it feel good saying that_.

The girl's smile widened. Then, without hesitation, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. Unlike the first time, Ty didn't hesitate; instead he kissed her back eagerly, knowing that she wanted this as much as he did. The very thought made his heart beat a hundred times faster.

The kiss ended too soon for both of them, but they were smiling, nonetheless. "Come on," Roxanne spoke, "let's get some sleep."

"You can have my bed," Ty offered. "I'll sleep at my desk. I've fallen asleep there many times before, so I'm used to it-"

"No." This time Roxanne took both his hands in hers, which made him look her in the eyes. "I'm not depriving you of your bed. I'm sure we can both fit."

The boy's green eyes widened with horror. "But...but...but Roxanne, we...we can't do that...not here...we're too young to be..."

"No, no, no," his girlfriend assured him. "Ty, we're not going to do _that_. We're just going to sleep in the same bed. There's nothing wrong with that."

_There is. I'll be a sweaty mess_. But he couldn't deny her anything. "OK. As you wish."

He turned and let Roxanne get dressed first, before she did the same with him. But when she turned, she had to stop herself from giggling at his bio-hazard pyjamas. "Aw, you look so cute!"

"Nice. There goes my self esteem."

She shook her head with a smile. "That's a _good_ thing." Without hesitation, the girl pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. Ty stood staring at her for a good long time, unsure whether or not to follow. He still wasn't sure about this idea. "Do you want me to turn over?"

"That...that might help, yes." So Roxanne turned over, and about a minute later, she felt the bed dip as Ty laid himself down next to her. "Goodnight, Roxanne."

"Goodnight, Ty."

At some point in the night, Roxanne felt a slim arm wrap itself around her waist and hold her close. She also felt herself smile.


	9. Chapter Nine: The Death of Metro Dude

Yeah, expect a lot of updates for a while. :)

Not much to say about this one, other than I hope I kept the situation and the character's actions realistic enough.

Also, I found out that Brad Pitt plans to retire from acting when he turns 50. He's 47 now. Dreamworks, if you plan on making a sequel, you better bloody hurry up!

* * *

It was hard to say whether or not Tianna was thinking straight as she made her way along the edges of the dark lake. After giving her statement at the station, she'd arrived home to receive a long – and regrettably loud – lecture from her parents about lying, blindly believing guys she barely even knew, and most importantly of all, sneaking out at night.

After such a lecture, one would wonder why she was disobeying orders on the same night they were given to her.

But Tianna Whitmire was a girl who didn't back down.

If Roxanne had taught her anything, it was that if one wanted to get the whole truth, one needed to question every aspect of the story, and every person involved, not matter the risk and no matter how invalid that person's opinion might be. She had said that people shouldn't be judged by their looks, but by their actions – but only after the reasons for their actions have been revealed.

And Tianna intended to find the real reason why Wayne Scott tried to rape her best friend.

She knew fully well that in doing so, she would be entering the lion's den. But she had also spent time with Wayne over the past few weeks; she knew there was more to his actions than what an outsider would assume. And if she wanted to save the good soul inside of him, she needed to strip this super-powered boy of his outside persona.

It didn't take very long to find him; she knew where he would be. She had seen him heading in that direction when he broke out of the house. It was a quiet spot by the lake which according to Wayne, no one else knew about. It was almost impossible to reach on foot without earning a good deal of scratches, very much impossible to reach by boat due to the rocks, but easy to reach when flying. A skill which Wayne quite obviously had.

The young girl pushed aside the final bush blocking her path, giving herself five more scratches across her arm and chest. She ignored the pain as best she could. This was easy enough when her brown eyes fell upon the boy sat on the sand before her, staring out across the lake to where the full moon was reflecting from the water's surface. Cautiously Tianna began to make her way towards him.

"Why are you here, Tianna?"

The girl froze, but she shouldn't have been surprised. Wayne had super hearing; he would have heard her coming from half a mile away.

Wayne didn't turn to face her, which Tianna took as a good sign. "It was pointless trying to find me. Call the cops. I'll just fly away again."

Tianna took a few steps closer. "Running won't help."

"What do you want me to do, then? Fight?" He turned to her then, his blue eyes staring her down, but not with hate. Tianna could detect sorrow and regret within them. "If I fight them, people _will_ die. And I can't do that. It's not right." He turned away again.

"Raping isn't right, either. And neither is lying."

The boy flinched, like she'd hit him and the blow had actually hurt – something he wasn't used to. He screwed his eyes shut.

"I know," he eventually spoke. "And I only realized how very wrong it was when the cops arrived…and when I saw out the window how terrified Roxanne looked. And how betrayed _you_ looked."

"You led me on. You made me feel that a nobody like me…could get someone like you. And that hurts." Tianna stood her ground as she spoke, trusting that no tear would fall to show how weak she had been earlier that night. She had already cried her heart out, and she hoped to no more.

The boy known as Metro Dude didn't speak, but from reading his body language, Tianna knew her words were hitting home.

"But not only that," she continued. "You led me on because you wanted to get to my friend. My _best friend_. You _used_ me to try and get her, and when that didn't work you used me _again_ to lead her to that house, where you tried to _rape_ her. I'm sorry, Wayne, but something like that… It's unforgivable."

She took in deep breaths, only then realizing how much effort and how much emotion she had poured out of her system. And Wayne just sat there, his head down and his shoulders hunched over.

"Some hero, aren't I?" he finally spoke. Tianna blinked in surprise; Wayne had always viewed himself – admittedly, rather obnoxiously – as a hero. Someone who should be worshipped. It had never been clearer how different Metro Dude was from Wayne Scott. "Deep down, I never wanted any of this. I never wanted for things to go this far."

_This might be it__. This might be what I was hoping to hear_. "Then why be a hero? Why make that choice?"

"That's just it," he told her. "It wasn't my choice." He sighed. "My mother once said that it didn't matter what I did with my powers; she would always be proud of me. But my father told me that with great power comes great responsibility. He said people _expected_ me to become a hero because of what I could do. So I adopted the name 'Metro Dude' and went with it; people loved me. But now that I look back on it…all of it was just an act."

Tianna listened to him, absorbing everything he was saying. "I remember when you told me about your mother; you spoke of her as if she was the most amazing woman on the planet. Her death is related to what happened tonight, isn't it?"

It took Wayne some effort, but he eventually nodded. "My mother didn't die because of my brother. She died because of my father. He never loved her, he never showed her he cared, he never gave her any respect or devotion; he viewed her only as a possession. And giving birth to his child killed her. I promised myself that when I grew up, I would find a woman and I would treat her with the respect and devotion my mother never received."

"So you chose Roxanne?"

He nodded. "Out of all the girls in the school, Roxanne was different. For a start, she was the only girl who didn't swoon whenever I walked into a room." At this, Tianna looked away; she knew she fell into the other category, but she'd never felt bad about it until that moment. "But it was much deeper than that; she reminded me of my mother. Roxanne is strong, beautiful, independent, she has her own opinion and doesn't care what people think of it, and her. From the moment I met her, I wanted her. I wanted to give her everything my mother never had."

"So you thought raping her would be giving her that love?"

Again, Wayne flinched from the emotional blow. "I never wanted it to go that far. My desires blinded me from what I really wanted to give her, and now they've pushed her so far away there's no chance I'll ever reach her. I never wanted to become the man my father is, but in trying not to be him, I've _become_ him."

Tianna felt like her heart had become twice as heavy and had dropped. Wayne had lots of things; money, looks, powers…but he didn't have love. It would be enough to drive any man insane, going through life without being loved by someone he loved in return.

"You haven't become him," she assured. "If you had, you would have tried to take Roxanne when you broke out of that house. But you didn't. You realized what you had done was wrong, even if you did run from it. But you were scared. And being scared is OK."

"Not for someone who can't feel pain."

"But you still feel emotional pain. So it _is_ OK." She allowed herself to sigh. "Wayne, I know this may be hard for you now, since you're hurting already, but Roxanne doesn't love you. She was never interested in you, and I doubt she ever will be. She loves Ty."

"I never thought I'd ever be jealous of him."

Tianna wasn't sure if the comment was bitter or had been meant with humour, so just left it. "My point is, you shouldn't try and force a girl to love you, especially when you know she loves someone else, and that love is mutual. Instead, find someone who loves _you_, and only you. Not Metro Dude, but _you_."

Wayne understood. "But even if I did…how could anyone ever forgive me after what I've done?"

At that point, Tianna took a deep breath and swallowed. She didn't know what Roxanne would think of her for what she was about to say, but she hoped her friend would be happy that she was following what her heart was telling her to do.

"I'll be willing to forgive you." Wayne turned to face her with wide eyes and disbelief spread across his face. "But only if you do one thing for me."

"Which is?"

"Turn yourself in. If you want to show people that you're sorry for what you've done, then you need to _acknowledge_ what you've done instead of running from it. And the only way you can do that is by turning yourself in."

* * *

When John Warden informed Ty and Roxanne the next morning that Wayne had stepped forwards, both were unsure how to react. That is, until Tianna (who had come bearing the news) explained what had happened between her and the Scott boy the night before.

"I've read articles about similar situations," Roxanne admitted. "I suspected there was something behind the mask Wayne had created, but I didn't know what."

"So you're not mad that I forgave him?"

"The opposite. I'm proud that you did. It takes a lot of guts to forgive someone for something as unforgivable as what he did." Roxanne bit her lip uncertainly. "I don't think I could forgive him yet. Maybe a few years from now, yes. But not now."

"I can actually sympathise with his situation," Ty spoke up.

The two girls just looked at him. "You can?" his girlfriend questioned. "Why?"

"Because he's an alien, just like me," the blue boy explained. "He's in a world which isn't his own, and was desperate for affection and someone to love. Like me. I don't think I'll forgive him now, but like you Roxanne, I may be able to in a few years. Holding grudges and hating a person is unhealthy, especially if that person did it because of psychological reasons."

"Psychological?" Roxanne couldn't resist smiling. "You love pronouncing the long words correctly and the easy ones wrong, don't you?"

Ty chuckled. "So what will Wayne do now?"

"He still wants to help people, but only when necessary," Tianna explained. "He's getting rid of the name 'Metro Dude', too."

"So who will he be now?"

"Wayne Scott. Just Wayne Scott."


	10. Chapter Ten: Hal's Revenge

Now we're going down hill again! Weeee!

OK, that was inapropriate. This is actually a pretty...depressing and violent chapter. All I'll say about it is: if any of you have been involved in something like this, or know people who have, then I apologize now. :(

* * *

Wayne was put on trial the following week. The boy pled guilty, but even then, the prosecution didn't have much of a chance. Especially since their witnesses had been Tianna, Roxanne and Ty, all of whom stated that even though what he had done was wrong, they could sympathize with his situation; Ty knew how it felt to be unloved, Roxanne argued that holding a grudge was unhealthy, and Tianna made it clear that since he had admitted and apologized for his mistakes, she had forgiven him.

Lord Scott – embarrassed by the fact that his son was in trouble, and unhappy about the negative press he was receiving when it became known he was mostly to blame – tried to offer money as a form or repayment, but Wayne refused. He didn't want his money getting him out of trouble any longer. Hearing this, the judge made a decent decision; Wayne had to serve community service, helping the police out with any situation where they may need his help. With this punishment, Wayne was satisfied.

Although, it took some trouble to get him back into school again; Principal White believed the boy was truly sorry for what he had done, but there were a lot of complaints from the parents. It was another week before Wayne was finally let back in; by this time he had lost many of his supporters (which, in his eyes, was somewhat of a good thing), and the few popular girls who still loved him were _not_ impressed when they discovered he had started going out with someone they considered a nobody.

Attitude towards Ty changed, too. Some hailed him as a hero for doing what he did; others occasionally said 'hi' to him when passing through the corridor; a few even started asking him for help on their homework. There were some, though, who still kept their distances because of his alien origins, and that he was dating a 'human'. But Ty and Roxanne grew used to it; they knew there would always be people who rejected the idea, and they refused to let that crowd hold them back.

That had been weeks ago. Since then, the _Four Ds_ had returned from their suspension. After hearing about what had happened, they made the wise decision to leave Ty alone (mainly because they didn't want Wayne on their case), so instead, they turned all their attention onto the other loser in the school.

Hal.

School had long since ended; the boys had waited behind, knowing that Hal was attending his little geek club. They weren't worried about Wayne stopping them; he had gone on a date with Tianna.

The ginger kid was last out of the classroom (as usual), hugging a comic book to his chest. He didn't see the four boys until they were stood directly in front of him, their shadows darkening his path.

Instantly, Hal began to tremble. "What…what do _you_ guys want? I have to, like, get home, you know?"

Before he realized what was happening, Nick had snatched the comic book from his hands; Cameron pressed a hand to his forehead to stop Hal from attacking, and Joe and Sam grabbed his arms.

"What's this?" Nick began to read what was inside. "Hal Jordan is the _Green Lantern_? No, wait; you've crossed out his last name and put _yours_ instead."

"That's just sad," Cameron commented.

Joe laughed. "There ain't nothing super about you, freckle face."

"Who has freckles at this age, anyway?" Sam wondered. "Kissed by angels? Kissed by dingoes, more like." The other three laughed. "You were the only baby the dingoes didn't eat because you smelt horrible. They probably fainted from the stench." This was followed by more laughter.

Nick closed the comic book and tore it up. "Hey!" Hal cried. "Stop that! It's authentic!"

"I don't care what it is. It's crap." Nick threw it in the trash can – what was worse, was that the trash can was full of half eaten lunches and milkshakes, all of which began to dribble onto the torn comic. "Stew_-wart_, you really need to stop living in a world of you own. This hero and villain stuff doesn't exist; if it did, Jumbo Man and Blue Freak would be battling it out already with Roxie in the middle. But they're not. There _are_ no heroes. Just losers like you and cool guys like us."

Cameron, Joe and Sam let him go, and high-fiving each other, the four boys hurried away down the hall, laughing. Once he knew they were gone, Hal quickly dug his hand into the trash can and fished out the torn pages of his comic.

"They don't mean that," he told the comic soothingly. "They're just jealous that _we're_ the cool ones around here."

He turned to leave, but froze when he noticed a girl walking past.

_The_ girl, to be correct. The girl he had wanted ever since Freshman year.

Roxanne Ritchi was a hottie, and there was no denying that. And on top, she was the only girl in school who hadn't taken the mickey out of him. Sure, she didn't talk to him, but that didn't matter. Her always tried to talk to her.

She was the one thing which made him happy, but since the _Four Ds_ had been harder on him lately, Hal wanted to take their relationship to the next level. Screw the _Four Dicks_; with Roxanne, the idiots wouldn't matter.

The only fence he had to jump was Ty. It had nearly broken his heart when he found out the two of them were officially a thing, but later on, it had given him a speck of home. It was obvious Roxanne liked the boys who didn't have the looks, and the ones who were considered as "the bottom of the heap" (although Hal wasn't sure why _he_ was placed in this group); so, all he had to do was ask her out, and she would realize that a human was _far_ better than an alien.

So, with a surge of confidence, he walked right up to her and blocked her path. "Hi, Roxie!"

Roxanne jumped from the shock. "Oh. Hal. _Please_ don't do that; you'll give me a heart attack one of these days."

"Oh, sorry. We wouldn't want that, would we? Am I right?" he gave her a friendly nudge.

Roxanne cringed. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I had a meeting with my possey." _If only they would notice me sitting in the corner_. "What about you?"

"The school paper had a meeting," she replied.

"Oh, the paper's awesome!" Hal exclaimed. "I really like your articles the best! They're _so_ much better than the others! You should really become a reporter when you grow up!"

"Yes. I was already planning on it."

"Great! I was planning on become a cameraman, so I thought that maybe we could, like, work together, or something. As a team, you know? We'd be unstoppable; Roxanne and Hal, reporting the news across the city no matter the dangers!" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and made a gesture with his hand.

Trying not to throw up her lunch, Roxanne carefully removed his arm. "That sounds…great, Hal. Now I need to-" She tried to walk away, but he leapt in front of her again.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" he began. "Listen, I got this awesome new video game, and I thought…you could come over and try it out? And then, if you're not busy, we could go to the _Elf King_ convention this weekend! I already have our costumes ready at home; yours is this Elf Queen wearing something similar to Princess Laya's golden bikini-"

"Hal!" Roxanne finally had enough. "I'm sorry, but I'm not much of a gaming-type girl. Nor am I into anything like _Elf King_, or whatever you call it."

"Oh. Well, that's nothing to worry about! Maybe we can just go out to get a milkshake, or something? I have a coupon in my bag; it's only for one shake, but I figured we could, like, share it…"

"Hal, stop," Roxanne interrupted. "I can see what this is; you're trying to ask me out on a date." _And doing a bad job of it_. "But you need to understand something. I'm dating Ty."

"But you can, like, change your mind…"

"But it's more than that." She took a deep breath in and let it out again. "I'm in love with him."

Hal's jaw dropped. "You love him? But, you're like, only in high school-"

"It doesn't matter," she interrupted again. "He's perfect; he's sweet, kind, caring, funny…"

"But he's not even a _man!_ He's a _thing!_"

"He's not a thing, Hal!"

"Come on, Roxie! Go on a date with me; I'll show you what a _real_ man feels like."

The girl knew _exactly_ what that comment meant. "He's more of a man than _you_! Hal, listen to me; there'll be other girls. And I'm happy to be just friends-"

"No, I want _you_!"

Flashbacks appeared in Roxanne's mind; about how Wayne had wanted no one else but her. It made her feel fear, but not much; Wayne had been _far_ more dangerous than Hal (before he turned himself around).

But Hal… Hal was harmless. "Hal, I'm sorry, but…I just don't feel the same way. Please understand that." She turned and walked away before he could say anything more, and was thankful when the boy didn't follow.

The red head just stood frozen to the spot, unwilling to move. The already partly broken heart was breaking even more…but he refused to give up. "Wait!" He hurried after her, towards the end and around the corner she had taken-

But he froze stiff at the sight he saw, and the broken heart was ripped from his chest.

There was Roxanne…but there was Ty. And their lips were locked together in a kiss, his arms around her waist and her arms around his shoulders. When the kissing stopped, they didn't pull away; instead, Ty rubbed his nose against her neck, making her giggle. Then finally, the pair pulled away, and still holding hands they ran off down the corridor.

All Hal could do was watch.

* * *

By the time he arrived home, Hal had fed the heartbreak to his anger. It just wasn't fair; people ignored him all the time, others picked on him, the _Four Jealous Dicks_ gave him hell, and to top it all off…Roxanne had chosen a _blue freak_ over _him_.

_I don't deserve any of this! I'm the cool one! Why can't people see that? Why can't Roxanne see that? _

He ignored his father passed out on the couch and continued into his room. There, he careful placed his ruined comic onto his desk and slung his bag across the room; it hit a _Green Lantern_ poster, and like in the comic, Hal had crossed out the guy's last name and had replaced it with _Stewart_, instead. The boy collapsed onto the bed; _how can I punish people for their wrong-doings?_

And then, a dark and dangerous thought crossed his mind.

And he _liked_ it.

* * *

"Stacy?"

"Here."

"Wayne?"

"Here."

"Bernard?"

"Meh."

"Hal?"

Silence. Mr. Jameson glanced up from his register questionably, but there was no Hal Stewart sat in front of Roxanne.

He didn't notice Roxanne biting her lip with worry.

"You OK?" Ty asked her in a whisper.

Roxanne didn't know how to answer. "I…I don't know. It's just that… you remember I said Hal tried to ask me out yesterday?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, since he's not here today, I hope he hasn't done…anything to himself. I mean, he's annoying, yes, but he's harmless. And he's like you were; no one really likes him."

"You did say you were happy to just be friends with him," Ty pointed out. "But he wouldn't accept that."

At that moment the door swung open and Hal hurried in. "Sorry I'm late." But instead of taking his seat, he remained at the front of the class; he placed his bag down and began to open it.

"Stewart, could you please take your seat," the teacher told him.

"I will," Hal said, "but I have something for everyone."

"Which is?"

"This." He took out a gun and open fired.

The _Four Ds_, who were all sat in the front row, were his first targets; they were blown from their seats while the two rows behind them dived under their desks, screaming. Mr. Jameson dived for the fire alarm and pressed it; instantly the sirens went off.

Roxanne felt a gust of wind, and looking to her right, she noticed that Terry, Tianna, Bernard and Stacy were gone, and that the window was open.

Glancing left, she saw that Wayne's desk was empty, too. She didn't feel bad that she and Ty had been left behind. The super-powered boy could only manage to carry four people at a time without hurting them; two in his arms and two over his shoulders.

Out of gut instinct, Roxanne leapt to her feet and tried to make a break for the window.

"Going somewhere, Roxie?" She turned, and her eyes widened when she saw that Hal had turned the gun on her.

"ROXANNE!" Suddenly she was tackled to the floor, just as Hal fired. Opening her eyes (she didn't realize she'd closed them) Roxanne saw, to her horror, that Ty had knocked her down.

And he had taken the hit.

"TY!"

Growling in frustration, Hal aimed at her again, but was stopped by Mr. Jameson intervening, trying to snatch the gun off the boy. It was enough to distract Hal; one second Roxanne and Ty were in the classroom, and the next, the pair of them were lying on the grass outside with Wayne standing over them.

"I'll be right back," he told them. And he vanished.

Roxanne turned to the others to see if they were all right; Terry had an arm around Tianna, Bernard – for once in his life – actually looked shocked, and Stacy was cradling her wrist.

"Wayne grabbed her awkwardly," Terry said, when he noticed Roxanne's puzzled look towards the other girl. "Is Ty…?"

Roxanne turned back to him; his eyes were closed, but he was still breathing.

Suddenly a gunshot was heard, followed by a cry which sounded a lot like Mr. Jameson. The teens screwed their eyes shut. This was followed by another gunshot.

By this time, the students had gathered outside, and noticing the small group lying on the grass, they all hurried other.

"Dude, the alien's dead!"

"No he's not, he's still breathing."

"Too bad."

"Shut up, you dick!"

"I bet it was that creep, Hal. I never liked him."

"But the wimp won't even know how to hold a gun!"

"Back! Back! Don't overcrowd them!" Principal White pushed his way though, and seeing Ty lying motionless on the ground, he sent Roxanne a grave look.

Unable to hold herself back any longer, Roxanne buried her face into her boyfriend's chest and cried.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Aftermath

I want to apologize now; I _really _didn't mean for this chapter to be as short as this. I thought it would be longer, but...my judgement was wrong. So this puny little chapter is the result. :(

And I also don't really like the ending that much. Sure, it's cute, but it seems to...wrap things up too fast...

Not the last chapter yet, people; one more to go after this one.

* * *

When Ty became aware of himself, he could feel a soft mattress beneath him and a thin blanket upon him, along with a pillow supporting his large head. At first he thought he was in his own bed...but then he remembered what had happened; Hal, the gunshots, Roxanne...

He opened his eyes.

The boy immediately regretted this action when he was forced to shut them again; the room was white, and its brightness was too much for him at first. But his eyes grew used to it. Only then was he able to look around.

Roxanne. She was sat to his right, her blue eyes staring into his green ones with new found happiness. These same eyes were also red from crying, and beneath them, Ty noticed black rings which told him she'd been worrying.

Remembering how he had blacked out when he dived to defend her, he asked, "Are you all right?" Who knew what Hal could have done to her?

She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. A little shaken, but fine. I should be asking you that, mister; you almost died!"

"But I _didn't_," he told her. "And I'm sure Minion told you why."

"Yes." Minion _had_ told her. About how, in case some random alien-hater wanted to kill him, the fish had made his clothes so they were bullet proof. Every piece of clothing he owned – including his pyjamas, even – could deflect any kind of bullet. Then when Roxanne asked about his head, Minion had told her about his spiked choker necklace; it contained its own shield, which was set to protect Ty should anything threatening come at his head. Ty had created that himself.

"So there's nothing to worry about." With Roxanne's aid, he sat himself up. Then he rubbed the back of his head. "How long have I been out for? How long has it been?"

"About two hours," Roxanne replied. "The school was closed until next week." She lowered her eyes so they stared at her lap.

"Casualties?"

She sighed. "Terry, Tianna and Bernard were unharmed. Wayne was obviously unharmed. Stacy broke her wrist when Wayne grabbed her awkwardly, but no charges are being pressed. He saved her life, after all. Joe, Sam, Nick and Cameron...were killed instantly." She knew she shouldn't feel pity for them. The four boys had been nothing but trouble from day one (and they had picked on Ty many times), but she still couldn't help feeling bad for them.

"I figured they were killed. What happened after I blacked out?"

Again she sighed, this time looking even more upset. "Hal tried to aim at me again, but Mr. Jameson intervened, trying to snatch the gun off him. This gave Wayne a chance to get us out of there. But...during the struggle, Mr. Jameson was shot. He was alive when the emergency services arrived, but...they didn't make it to the hospital in time..." A tear trickled down her face.

Ty understood her pain; he felt pain, too. Mr. Jameson had been a nice teacher to him, notably one of the very few who actually treated him equally. Too many of the teachers had treated him like dirt while sucking up to Wayne. That is, until the events that happened some weeks before. After that they more or less tolerated him.

The boy wasn't sure if he should ask the next question. "And what about Hal?"

Roxanne bit her lip. "Wayne went back inside to try and stop him, before he went and killed more people. But when he got back inside, Hal had completely lost it. He ended up...shooting himself." She started crying.

And Ty couldn't bare to see her like that; he raised a hand and cupped her cheek, wiping away the tears that left her eyes. "Roxanne, don't cry. It's all over now."

"I know, but it was _my_ fault he did that," she spoke with a lump in her throat. "The _Four Dicks_ bullied him, but he only snapped when I turned him down! If I hadn't done that he'd still be-"

"Hey, hey, hey," Ty shushed her. "Calm down. It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. Hal could have just taken your friendship and moved on, but he didn't; he let it get to him, and he took it too far."

With watery eyes, Roxanne gazed at him with wonder. _How could no one have realized how amazing this boy is?_ "The police woman who questioned me about the incident said exactly the same thing," she said. "These things build up, and considering how lonely and unloved Hal must have felt... Me turning him down was what finally made him snap, but anything could have done that. I didn't know how much pain he was feeling; the officer said I'd – in a way – done the right thing. I couldn't accept his offer just for the sake of it, especially since I already had a boyfriend. Pity dates only make things worse."

"Yeah," he agreed. "No offence meant, but that's what I thought you were giving me at first; a pity date. But then you said all that stuff on the first date...you kept on coming back, and it eventually made me realize it was for real. And the kiss did, too."

Roxanne smiled at the thought; that first kiss had been magical. "If I hadn't gone out with you...would you have ended up doing something like that?"

Ty looked away, thinking. "I wouldn't have gone as far as killing people. I could never kill _anyone_. But dehydration is another matter entirely."

Roxanne laughed. Even in situations like this, he could still make her laugh. "Dehydrating all the bullies in school is actually not a bad idea. You should tell the Principal about it."

And just like that, the incident left their minds momentarily, and they talked about how they could improve the school system for the next two hours. After that they just kissed and cuddled, and then, they ended the day by snuggling up to one another and drifting off to sleep.

The nurse who came in to check on them only smiled; she didn't want to disturb them, so just left them like that.


	12. Chapter Twelve: New Beginnings

And we've also come to the end of this fic, too! A big thank you to those who have read, reviewed, faved and alerted this story!

Sadly, no sequel (the same for _True Beauty_), but I still have two other Megamind fics going, _and_ there may be more in the future. So watch out for those! :D

* * *

There were a number of people at the funeral. Roxanne had decided that, even though she and her classmates had almost been killed by Hal, they should still attend, even if only for Mr. Jameson. She stood next to Ty, who held her hand as the vicar proceeded. To his left was Minion, to _his_ left the warden, and to Roxanne's right stood her father; her mother was absent.

It was a rather dull day; the sky was full of clouds, but it wasn't raining. Terry and Tianna were also holding hands, while Wayne held his girlfriend's other hand. To his right stood his younger brother, Luke, uncertain about what was going on, but remaining silent all the same. Roxanne remembered how he had apologized to her earlier on for shouting at her that night, and hoped the boy would change like his brother had. Terry and Tianna's parents stood behind their children, while Bernard was stood next to Terry, with Stacy to his left.

Six graves had been dug, and the guests were stood before the first. There were a number of other people in attendance, both of whom Roxanne recognized along with some she didn't. Several of the teachers from her school had shown up, along with Principal White. The ones she didn't know were mostly family members; Mr. Jameson's sister and brother-in-law, along with their two children.

Then there were the families of the students, and even though Roxanne never judged a book by its cover, she could partly see why the boys had been so messed up. Joe's family was large; parents who couldn't control the many children they had, the same children who couldn't keep quiet, and older siblings with their own young children (who also refused to shut up). Sam's father was absent, but his doting mother had turned up, shouting and accusing other people of her son's death. She didn't even believe it when the Principal had told her that her son had been bullying others.

Cameron's parents had died, but he had an older brother who came; he spent most of the ceremony whispering under his breath, saying he should have taken more care of his little brother. Nick's parents didn't even show up. It wasn't because they were dead or they literally couldn't; they just didn't care. Hal's father didn't attend either, but he was being held by police due to being in possession of illegal drugs and owning a gun without a license (then letting that same gun get into Hal's hands).

The only person Roxanne wasn't sure about was a woman who had turned up late; she had gotten caught in traffic, and hadn't had time to introduce herself.

The ceremony went on without any problems, besides the little kids refusing to keep quiet and their parents failing to do anything about it. The coffins were lowered, and it was over. Straight afterwards Joe's large family had to take off; the kids were getting restless, and the parents didn't want to have to deal with them. _They can barely control them now_, Roxanne thought.

The rest of the guests made their way slowly across the graveyard. Minion had gone to talk with the others, giving Ty and Roxanne some space of their own. The two teens were walking hand in hand across the grass when they heard someone call, "Wait!"

When they turned, they saw the unknown woman hurrying towards them. Her hair was an auburn colour and her eyes were green, but more of a darker green than Ty's. Roxanne sent her a questioning look. "Can we help you?"

"Yes," the woman replied. "You're Roxanne, aren't you? I just spoke to the Principal and he directed me over here."

"Yes, that's me. And this is my boyfriend, Ty." The alien nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Hi, I'm Evelyn May," the woman introduced herself. "I'm...I _was_...Hal's aunt."

Roxanne's eyes widened. _Does she want to shout at me because of what happened?_ She hoped not; she was still feeling guilty about it, and she knew that if someone started blaming her she'd start crying, then Ty would get angry and would probably end up dehydrating the woman.

She must have been as readable as a book, because the woman sent her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I don't blame you for anything. The Principal told me what happened."

The girl let out a sigh of relief. "I've been feeling so guilty about it."

"Don't be. What was Hal like in school?"

The teens exchanged glances. "He mostly kept to himself," Roxanne replied. "He was always reading comic books. When he tried to talk to people, it was too full on; almost like he didn't realize that what he was saying was making people uncomfortable."

"I knew it," said the woman. "It's not his fault he was like that. You see, I think he had Asperger Syndrome. It runs in the family. People who have it are socially awkward, don't understand social cues, find it difficult to talk to strangers and keep eye contact, they say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and like you said, they don't realize when they're making people uncomfortable, or when they've offended someone."

"That...actually makes sense," Ty realized.

"But shouldn't the school have taken action? Shouldn't his _parents_ have taken action?" Roxanne asked.

"My sister, Delilah, was in denial about it," Evelyn explained. "I think it was because she couldn't cope with our own father, who also had it. After she died, I didn't hear anything from Hal or Hank at all. And the best the school can do is send letters home; when I spoke to the Principal, he said he'd sent a number of them to Hank. More than he could count. But Hank never replied to any of them. The bastard."

"If you realized something was going on, why didn't you fight for custody over him?" Roxanne then asked.

"I _did_," she replied sadly. "But I didn't win. I don't even know _how_ I didn't."

"I might know," Ty spoke up. "During his investigation, the warden discovered that this guy has sway over a number of judges, investigators and officers. He's a drug dealer; he has that kind of money. There's a fair chance that the judge who handled your case could have been one of those."

The woman sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "If only I had done more. Then none of this would have happened."

"I feel the same way," Roxanne said. "But it's like the vicar said; Hal didn't have a hero in his time of need."

"He did," Ty corrected. Roxanne turned to him. "_You_ were his hero, just like you were mine. You offered him friendship. But it was too late; he couldn't be saved." Silence followed as the trio all hung their heads low, thinking about what could have been if things had been different. "Why don't you talk to the warden?" Ty then spoke up again, turning to Evelyn. "He's helping the investigation into Hank Stewart; he's the one with the moustache."

"Thank you. And it's nice to meet you both." She turned and walked towards the warden, who was speaking with Rowan.

Ty and Roxanne continued walking until they reached a bench, which they sat themselves down upon. For a while, neither of them spoke.

"My parents are getting a divorce."

Ty turned to her with a look of surprise. "They are?" She nodded. "It's because of me, isn't it?"

"No, it's not, so get that idea out of your head right now," his girlfriend assured him. "Even though the final argument...started with you, the relationship between my parents has been rocky for years. It was only a matter of time before something gave. I think Dad only tried to keep them together because he didn't want me to grow up without one parent; now he's realized my mother's influence isn't the best."

"So how'd it happen?"

She let out a deep sigh. "Well, I was at home studying. Dad was out shopping and Mum was still at work. Then Mum came in, and seeing me alone, decided to try and push other boys in my face." She saw Ty's fist clench, so began to gently rub it, relaxing him. "It's fine. None of them interested me; they were all the sons of her co-workers, and a couple of years older than me. This ended in an argument. Then Dad came home and broke it up. I was sent up to my room while he had a word with Mum; then _they_ started arguing. I won't get into it, but it basically ended with Dad demanding a divorce and Mum storming out. After the papers have been signed, she said she's changing back to her maiden name, and in her eyes, neither me nor dad will exist."

"Funny how she didn't really care about you, but the moment you started dating me, she suddenly does."

"It's because she thought it would harm her image," Roxanne explained. "She never cared about me before because what I was doing wasn't bothering her. She's high up where she works; image is everything. Say if I married some rich, handsome young man; she'd have the bragging rights that came with it, and her image would be saved. But she believes that because you're an alien, I shouldn't be dating you, and the fact that I am will ruin her."

"Which also explains why she's cutting herself off."

"Exactly." She sighed again. "I don't think I'll miss her. She was never really around to begin with. But Dad got his job at KMCP back, and we're moving into an apartment in the city. Things will just be harder since I'll have more chores to do."

"I could make you a little robot to help?" She laughed. "I'm serious! I'm working on these things called Brainbots; AI technology which are like dogs. They're the first thing I'm going to market when I form my own company."

Roxanne raised an eyebrow. "You're going to form your own company?"

"Of course. The contract I have with the government only lasts until I'm eighteen; then my human rights kick in and I can go do my own thing. I'm thinking about selling my inventions through my own company. I've even come up with a name for it."

"Which is?"

"The Megamind Incorporation."

Roxanne blinked. For a moment, it was almost like she'd heard that name before...but then she shook her head. No. It was just her imagination. Or some serious Deja Vu. "I like it. It has a nice ring to it." She then turned away, sighing once more as she stared into space.

"Earth to Roxanne?" Ty spoke up. "Is something on your mind?"

"Now you mention it," she began, "something feels...right. Kind of like those Kung Fu warriors; I feel at peace for some reason."

"Like your purpose has been fulfilled."

"Yeah, kinda like that."

They sat there in peaceful silence, bathing in the sudden harmony which had surrounded them, until the rest of the guests caught up.


End file.
